Chaotic situations
by The Infamous Fly
Summary: Sequel to "Reversed situations" Dipper Gleeful has gone insane, and is planning on unleashing cosmic forces. Bill has conflicting plans with his alternate self, and Dipper Pines is plagued by nightmares of things to come. And that isn't even the half of it... Rated M for violence, slight gore, language, as well as disturbing and adult concepts. COMPLETE!
1. The sun rises twice

**+-=CAESER^0^=CIPHER-+**

"4…3…2…ONE!" Dipper turned away from the tree and removed his hands from in front of his face. Glancing around the forest clearing for any glimpse of his sister. Smiling, the young boy dashed in the direction of a large, slightly triangular, stone, which sat in the center of the clearing. "Ready-or-not, here I come!" He shouted the proclamation as fast as possible, not wanting to give her time to process it. Creeping up upon the side of the strangely shaped stone, Dipper bit his lip, listening to the sounds of heavy breathing on the other side. _Gotcha!_

Jerking his head around the side of the stone, he yelled "BOO!" only to be shocked by the sight before him.

His sister, tiny and frail, lay on the ground, her scalp covered in blood. The brunette's chest had been torn open, and her lungs were revealed to the world, along with some shattered ribs. Her lifeless body lay against the stone, her arms bent in unnatural ways. That would have been startling enough for the poor boy, but even more disturbing, even more soul grippingly terrifying, was that another him, an older, disturbed looking him stood right next to the corpse. The doppelganger's hands were covered in gore, and a piercingly sharp blade in his left hand. He wore a black coat, with a glowing blue stone in the center of his necklace, and grinned nauseatingly. The twisted reflection had yellow eyes, with pupils that were serpentine in nature.

He darted forward, pressing his blood soaked blade against his younger counterpart's neck. Grinning wider, he spoke threw his teeth, bits of flesh which he had chewed on landing on Dippers face, and mixing with saliva to create a toxic concoction. His voice was somehow both deep and ominous, while also being shrill and disturbing. "_YOUR_ **NEXT **_MOUTH_-**BREATHER**!"

Dipper sat up with a scream, so startled by his gory vision that he fell back in his chair, and slammed to the ground. Extremely jittery, Dipper pushed himself to his feet, and sat the chair up, pushing it up against the work table which he had been fallen asleep at. Rubbing his eyes, he realized that, once again, he had lost track of time, and fallen asleep while researching with Robert. The last thing he remembered was Robert telling him to get some sleep before going upstairs to sleep on the couch. Then he had told the teen he would only stay up another five minutes.

_Oh geeze, how late is it? _

He switched off the lamp which stood on the table covered in notes and maps, and glanced over to the two sleeping bags not too far away, making sure that he hadn't awoken Gideon and Pacifica. _Other Gideon, and Other Pacifica. _He corrected himself, despite not really caring. With no source of movement, the detective moved towards the staircase. He preferred to think of Gideon as a stalwart ally who was quite sensitive and methodical, rather than think of him as a homicidal enemy who was out for revenge.

_Trust no one. _

Dipper ignored the mantra, and ascended the stairs, doing so as quietly as possible. The images of his brutal nightmare returned, and Dipper shivered, getting gooseflesh at just the thought of his insane counterpart.

_What the hell is wrong with that guy? I mean, I know that he had it pretty rough, but how could I ever become THAT? _Dipper sighed in frustration, and rubbed the bags beneath his eyes. _I suppose if Gideon and Robbie can be good people then I can be…that. _Dipper knew that his clone had never committed something resembling what he had dreamed about (to the best of his knowledge) but he didn't understand how he could become a person capable of destroying the world for his own personal gain. _At least he cares about his Mabel. _The young investigator took a moment to catch his breath, before beginning the second flight of stairs, and correcting himself. _At least he CARED for Mabel. _The magician's twin had unfortunately (fortunately? Dipper didn't know what to think about the other Mabel, she had saved him, but also tortured his best friend, Wendy) been killed as a result of Bill's rampage, and when Dipper's magic wielding equivalent had attempted to "even the score" via killing this world's Mabel.

Dipper wasn't sure what he would have done had Pacifica not been there to prevent the psychotic twelve year old from succeeding, and it reminded him further of his awful dream. Gazing down at the elevator shaft which ran along the third flight of hastily arranged stairs, Dipper wondered why Stan had ever owned one. A morbid thought struck the tween, and he envisioned Gideon or Pacifica getting up in the morning, and being too groggy and tired to see where they were going. Then he saw them topple down the shaft in his mind's eye, gulping as the sounds of bones breaking and necks snapping filled his feverish imagination.

_GODDAMMIT BILL!_

Dipper felt justified in blaming the demon for his morbid thoughts as he opened the door which led to the hall way, which connected to the back room. _Why does Stna have the basement so hidden away? _The nightmares had begun shortly after Bill's agonizing promise (_the end is the never the end_), one which the demon had given shortly after being defeated. Dipper had fallen asleep in the hospital, so tired that even the uncomfortableness of the chair had not deterred him. He had been shown a vison of the whole valley burning, bodies lying everywhere, and Bill, laughing in the sky cackling, and tearing at himself as he flashed between colors.

Mabel had shook him awake, and Soos had drove him, her, and their inter-dimensional allies to his grandmother's house, where they stayed for the night. The next day had been a blur, Stan appearing at the door with briefcase of insurance money, and an eye patch (over his eye not his glasses). Then Stan had shoved them all in the back of his in the rental, and brought them to the crappy motel they would stay at until the Shack was repaired.

Then they had to help come up with an alibi for Soos, who it seemed, had stolen a firetruck. After that the two agents who he had taken for dead, had showed up looking for a Stan Pines, and the old man had created a false persona for himself to. Dipper knew this was necessary since people would be shocked to find out that Stan Pines survived such a huge explosion, and the government thought he had caused the explosion (something about nuclear waste), but the name "Liam Szyfr" didn't real roll of the tongue well. Mabel had also enlisted him in helping create personas and disguises for Robert, Gideon, and Pacifica. "If they are gonna be living here, then the townsfolk are gonna need something to call them!" those had been her words. And Dipper had no problem with helping his sister, but did she need to create such off the wall names? Let's face it, this town had enough of those.

Regardless of his protests however, Pacifica had become Adda Trèigte, who was a Scottish exchange student who had come at the wrong time, and had brilliant red hair. Once Mabel had dyed her hair, she had given her boots and a rain coat (Stan had quite a lot of material for disguises it seemed), and placed large spectacles on the bridge of her nose. To complete the picture she had dotted the blonde's cheeks with dimples. Robert had become Biblio Convoquer, a French professor. They got him a bunch of fancy clothes, which was similar to what he usually wore, covered his blatant acne with cream, and made him grow out a mustache. Then, much to his discomfort, they gave him a haircut.

Gideon had become Condenado "Coney" Tranquillo, who was a Mexican lake surfer. Dipper didn't want to know where Mabel was getting these ideas, but he didn't really want to either. They didn't have to change Gideon's appearance as much as the others, mostly because he was taller and thinner than the Gideon of their world. They merely gave him a spray on tan, and dyed his hair black. "Don't worry," Mabel had reassured them, "You'll only have to dress this way in public." Gideon and Pacifica had not been happy about the transformation, but Robert seemed to take a liking to his new mustache and goatee.

Of course that hadn't been the end to the day either, because Soos and Wendy came over for a more complete version of the truth (Dipper had only been able to tell them the gist of it on the car ride to the hospital). By the time he was done with the story, he was exhausted. But there was still work to be done. The townsfolk needed reassurance that the world had not ended/was not ending, and Dipper had to explain the situation to an incredibly confused McGucket, who thought they had gone insane. When he was finally allowed rest, the twelve year old flopped down on the bed, and fell into a deep sleep.

Only to be woken up at midnight by another nightmare. This time he had watched Mabel turn into energy and explode, destroying the whole world in the process. Entering the back room, Dipper glanced around, wanting to make sure that his great uncle wasn't "sleepwalking" again. It would be awkward to bump into him once again in the dark. Now it was one thing for Bill to spam him with nightmares so that he could barely get a good night's rest. But it was quite another when the demon was corrupting his memories.

Dipper entered the kitchen, opening the fridge and pulling out some orange juice. From now on whenever the young detective thought about the time he and Mabel had played hide-an-seek in the forest behind their house, he would think about that nightmare. Drinking his full, he slammed the cup down on the counter, almost breaking it with the force of his frustration.

"Are you okay?" Startled by the voice, he moved his gaze in the direction of the voice, and saw Pacifica sitting at the kitchen table. _Oh god, I really am tired. _"I uh, I'm fine. I just um," Dipper had not told anyone about is problem yet, hoping to figure it out for himself, he knew that Stan was swamped trying to make ends meat, Mabel had enough to worry about (psychopathic twin on the loose), and their inter-dimensional friends were busy researching how to return to their world. He decided however, to be honest. "I just had a nightmare."

It felt good to be able to confide in someone, and if he was going to tell anyone, then it may as well be the person who saved him and his sister from a lunatic.

_Not your sister, tell the girl you barely know. _Sometimes Dipper whished his mind would shut up. Glancing over at the digital clock on the oven, his eyes widened. "It's 3:00 in the morning, what are you doing up?" The blonde moved her gaze to the floor as he opened the fridge and returned the orange juice to its proper location. "I uh…I have trouble going to sleep…" Turning back to her he rubbed a swollen eye, and sat down beside her. "Insomnia?"

She shook her head, "I just, I see things…in the dark, patterns and stuff, I guess I have an overactive imagination, and when I'm alone I tend to focus on those things." Dipper raised an eyebrow, surprised by this problem, "Do you want to take some medicine?" She shook her head, "I'm just gonna stay up here until I become too tired." The investigator frowned, "That's not healthy, I mean, surely there's something we can do to get you to sleep." He could barely make out her blush in the dim lighting, but he could tell she was embarrassed by how she avoided his gaze, "Well, my parents…they always used to let me sleep with them, I know it sounds really childish, but umm, being close to someone let me sleep easier."

Understanding crossed Dipper's face, "That's why back in your dimension, you'd always show up at the library late. It was because you couldn't get a goodnight's sleep." She nodded, looking ashamed of her problem. He placed a hand on her shoulder, "Hey, it's okay. Once we get you back to your world we'll help you find your parents. It'll be fine okay?" She looked up at him, her eyes slightly wet. "Really?" Dipper remembered bumping into the grieving Pacifica of his world the day after they built the disguises, she had been unaware he was alive, and had hugged him tightly, before demanding to know what had happened. _No matter what world she's from, she relies on me for comfort. _"I promise." A hissing voice entered his mind as soon as the words left his mouth, and he tried to hold back cringing.

_{Don't make promises you can't keep PineTree.} _Ignoring the infuriating words of his enemy, he led Pacifica upstairs, and surprised her by offering to sleep beside her in his bed. She looked shocked, and was unable to speak for a moment. Not wanting to embarrass her, he waited until she had regained her composure to speak. "Listen, I promise I won't do anything creepy I just…I've been having nightmares for a while, and I'm kinda scared of going to sleep on my own. This just seems like the best way to solve both our problems." The platinum blonde bit her lip, before nodding in consent.

He got in first, allowing her to exit the bed first, and scooted to the far side of the mattress so that they were touching, but just barely. "Are you good?" He glanced over and found her staring at the sleeping Mabel.

Turning back, she replied, but he strained to hear her. "C-could you move a little closer?" The tween nodded, scooting over, and finding the smell of her perfume entering his nose. "Better?" She rolled over, her light blue eyes meeting his dark brown. Nodding she thanked him, before breaking their locked gaze, and turning away.

Dipper stared up at the rafters above, trying to calm his beating heart. It didn't matter though, because soon exhaustion had overcome him.

**-+=****Khb****^0^qrz=+-**

_(In Reverse Falls) _

"Alright, that's the last of them…now give me my memories back!" Fiddleford glared up at the sky, the memory wiping device which he held fell loose from his hands, and he glanced around, trying to see if the demon was nearby. A light rain pelted his brow, and for a moment he wondered if the creature had tricked him, and had no intention of returning what was lost.

Then a flash of gold fire filled the air, and the amnesiac had to cover his eyes for fear of being blinded. _#Well, well, well, you certainly held up your side of the bargain ScarEye, I'm impressed.# _The demon flew behind him, and placed an ashen hand on his shoulder, _#Of course any old man with a memory wiping device could do so. So I guess I lied when I said I was impressed.# _The inventor ignored his benefactor, and spoke in a trembling voice. "Ju-just give me b-back m-my memories!" The rectangle turned back to him, _#Oh right, about that…# _The cycloptic demon reached forward, and grabbed his victim by the throat. _#Sorry boyo, I need this meat sack **more than you do**.#_

Fiddleford felt his whole body go numb, and then he felt the weight of holding himself up disappear as he was pulled out of the body. Looking down at himself, the mad inventor watched as his dead body was given new life, and the eyes of his body opened, revealing two slit pupils and slightly blue eyes with bags beneath them. Picking up the amnesia gun, the possessed man gave the soul a smile. #Welcome to the Mindscape ScarEye. Say goodbye to such labors like breathing, sleeping and eating!#

Fiddleford stuck a hand through his on chest, mesmerized by the translucence of his own form. _"Why would you do this? We had a deal!" _Bill rolled his new set of eyes, "Sorry Fiddy, but you have to pay for your transgressions, and I have a dimension to get to." Smiling, the lying demon trotted off in the direction of town, his shoes squelching in the muck. Fiddleford watched him leave with a sinking feeling. _Transgressions? Dimension? What the hell was he talking about? _

**-+=****edfn****^0^****djdlq****=+-**

"Wake up ya' nerd! I've got something to show you!" Stan banged on the sheet of metal which his elderly college used as a door. There was grumbling, and muttering, but finally the door was flung open, and the homeless resident glared back at him. "For Pete's sake Stanford, it's three in the morning!" Stan glanced at his watch and corrected the reclusive genius, "Actually it's three-thirty…" Groaning, the amnesiac slammed the door closed, and stalked back to his mattress.

"C'mon Fiddleford, I've got something to show you!" There was more muttering, and finally, the door flung open again and the bum held his shotgun at the ready. "Alright you lollygagger, show me…" Smiling the lollygagger in question gestured for his aged companion to follow. Leading the tired genius through the woods, Stan came to a stop in front of a cave. Stopping to catch his breath, the eye patch wearer beckoned Fiddleford inside, while he caught his breath. "Inside…*pant* there's something you need to see inside…"

The sleep deprived hobo raised an eyebrow, before sighing and obeying the shyster's wishes. Hobbling inside, he was stunned by the sight before him.

A giant metal triangle sat in the back of the cavern, it was hooked up to two massive cylinders, which were filled with green glowing ooze. Chunks were missing from the device, as though it was a chip and something had been eating it. The sound of footsteps was followed by that of Stan's voice, hesitant yet determined. "The Author is on the other side of this portal. If you help me repair this machine, then we can get him back, and he'll be able to fill in all the blanks." McGucket turned back to the shop owner, and stared at him in amazement. "Di-di you build this thing?"

Stan shook his head, "You made it. A long, long time ago. You and The Author. I tried to use it a while ago, but Bi-The Triangle man, trapped me inside the portal, and I just managed to escape and destroy his avatar." He pointed to his eyepatch, "My eye got scratched as I escaped." He leaned against the wall slightly for support and spoke. "Fiddleford, this…this is our chance to save his life, to make things right." Still the shorter of the two remained silent, "Without the help of the Author, I don't think we'll be able to defeat Bi-The Triangle man when he returns. And he will return."

The inventor's shoulders sagged and he stroked his brow with his good hand. "Fine, but we you have to let me get a goodnight's sleep, you fopdoodle of man." The beardless conspirator nodded and chuckled at the prospector's insult. "You always had a way with words Fiddleford…" McGucket smiled slightly, and told Stan to cover up the cave, and then get inside.

"It's stormin' somethin' fierce out here…and you need rest." Then the mad genius turned and disappeared into the thick blackness of the wood.

**-+=****Brx****^0^****kdyhq'w phw****=+-**

Mabel felt herself wake as her pig began to lap at her chin, and her eyes opened and were enveloped by the light of early morning. Smiling, she stroked Waddles' head, and sat up, causing the pig to fall into her lap and for her to gain a better view of the world. Looking around the room she wondered why Stan liked triangular windows so much, but that thought vanished when she caught sight of who was sleeping in her brother's bed.

Hopping out of bed, she sped over to the opposing mattress, and was going to rouse the blonde and ask her why she was sleeping in Dipper's bed. Then she realized that Dipper was also sleeping next to her, and, for the first time in quite a while, he didn't look tired. Her eyes widened and she started coming to some excessively quick conclusions. Smiling, she ran over to her bed, and reached her underneath for her camera. _Perfect scrap-book opportunity! _

Just as she touched it however, a blast of static struck her, and she was sent spiraling backwards, slamming into the ceiling and falling to the floor in a heap. She moaned and tried to right herself, with bruises all across her side, and a particularly nasty lump on her head. Waddles was startled by the crackling energy, and ran up to his master, licking her burnt hand. She smiled at the beast's compassion, and was surprised that neither Dipper nor Pacifica had been awakened by the sound of the mini explosion.

_^Well they would but, sadly, there both exhausted. Probably from the smooching they did last night!^ _Mabel stood, just realizing that the color had been sapped from the room. Groaning, she turned around, and glared at the triangle who had appeared in front of the bedroom window. The only colorful thing in the room now (with the exception of Waddles), Bill hovered over to her with a giggle. "Just leave me alone you stupid triangle." As an afterthought, she turned back to him and began making further demands, "Leave everyone alone! Go find someone else to torment." The demon snickered, and floated over to the trembling pig, _^When hell freezes over sugar pop, I'm basically an over protective mother who monitors her child's search history and Big Brother rolled into one. **HA! **Now that's a dysfunctional family!^ _Flipping sides of her, he placed a hand on Waddles' head. ^_now what say you give me your pig and I'll explain what just happened to you?^ _Mabel scrunched up her face in horror at the suggestion, and she picked up the terrified pig, taking a step away from the deal maker. "Not in a million years you isosceles, now you leave, and stop creepily watching people! What Dipper and Pacifica do is up to them!"

The cyclops rolled his eye, words started to inscribe themselves on his chest, _^Semper vigilantes my little star, semper vigilantes! It's my job to watch you guys, every waking moment…that way I'm here when something like THIS happens. I'm like your floating, golden babysitter really.^ _Those same words, meaningless to the injured pre-teen appeared on Bill's chest, and flashed brightly.

Her head spinning, Mabel sat down on her bed, clutching her hog tightly and trying to ignore the demon as he explained that he had lied about Dipper and Pacific kissing. _^I just wanted to see your reaction, not your actual reaction, you mental reaction. THOSE ARE THE BEST! PineTree sure is a charmer though, he's got lady's lining up around the cycopede to be with him.^ _Mabel clutched her head, and spoke through gritted teeth, "Go away, go away NOW!" She stopped herself from yelling too loudly, with the realization that the situation could only get worse if Dipper and Pacifica woke up to find Bill leering at them.

_^Relax kid, you're in the Mindscape, you can yell and **scream **as much as you like, and **no one will hear you**. But don'tcha wanna find out why when you touched the camera everything went BOOM?^ _The bruised twelve year old turned away, "No, Dipper will help me figure it out, besides I can't trust a word that comes out of your mouth…or lack of mouth, or whatever." Bill sighed and spun around to face her, then he moved his gaze down to the quivering Waddles. _^It's the pig isn't it?^ _He snapped his fingers and Waddles disappeared with a cry.

Mabel swiped at the triangle, her fist going straight through him. "What did you do to Waddles?! TELL ME!" She was on the verge of tears, and her fist flew through his flaxen form. He raised his ebony arms and motioned for her to calm, _^Relax kid, I just sent him back to your world, right now he's trying to wake you up. Now let me-^ _"NO! Let me out of here, I hate you!" He rolled his eye, _^No you don't, now ConstellationHead, he hates me. I've been in his mind. He wants to tear me apart, obliterate me, and destroy me. Now THAT ShootingStar, that is hatred…you merely "dislike" me^_ She fumed, ready to call him the worst things she could think of (Her vocabulary of profanities was somewhat lacking however) "I don't care, let me out!" Sighing, the demon snapped his fingers, and there was a flash of light. _^Fine, but you'll come running to me for answers **when the time come**s…^_

Mabel opened her eyes to find the camera in her hands, and Waddles next to her. Glancing around the room she saw that all evidence of her explosion was gone. With the unfortunate and painful exception of her bruises. Sighing, she hopped off the bed, and pointed the camera at her brother's bed, snapping a quick photo of the couple, before placing the photo in her scrapbook, and dressing in the bathroom. Once she had slipped a sweater on which concealed all her bruises, she took her prized hog downstairs. "Don't worry Waddles, we're not gonna let Bill ruin our day…"

**-+=****Brx kdyhq'w phw****^0^****doo ri rxu iuhqgv****=+-**

"3…2…ONE! Ready or not here I come!" Dipper turned away from the tree and removed his hands from in front of his face. Glancing around the forest clearing for any glimpse of his sister, he smiled when he caught sight of the large boulder which resided in the center of the clearing. He crept forward, careful to be as quiet as possible as his sneakers pressed against the soft grass. When he reached the stone he grinned like a lunatic, and stuck his head around the other side as he yelled "GOTCHA!" His face fell and his joy was replaced by shock as he stared at the body of his sister. Her head was bashed in, and blood spilled all over her summer dress. "No…no…no this isn't how it happened…" Stepping backwards, he stared at his blood covered hands in frustration. "NO…THIS ISN'T HOW IT HAPPENED…"

Mocking laughter echoed through the woods, and the wind blew hard enough to break of tree branches, and to raise Dipper slightly into the air. The sky started to turn green and Dipper watched an immense hand reach down his way, casting a shadow over him and his sister. "NO! YOU CAN'T TAKE ME FROM HER!" He swam through the air, trying to return to the ground. But the hand close on his legs, and tears were brought to his eyes as he heard a booming voice, one which echoed upon itself told him. **_{[Sorry little pal. You did that to yourself…]} _**Pulled into a black portal, the magician screamed as magic tore through his physical form.

His eyes flickered open, and he stared at the stalactites overhead. He could feel tears coming to his eyes, and had to brush them aside and ignore the soul crushing pain in his chest. Rolling over, he spotted the corpse of his sister, wrapped in bandages and preserved to survive the power of rot. Standing, Dipper Gleeful stumbled over to the entrance of the cave, and stared out at the sky in hatred. The sun was shining, the rain was gone, and the forest was alive with movement and change.

It sickened him.

"Sorry sister dear…I…" He turned back to the myriad of stolen books which he had been reading late into the night. "I must have nodded off…" Picking up his amulet, he used it to raise all the books into the air and toss them into the fire at the back of the cave. _Useless. Obsolete. Nothing he hadn't heard before. _

Sitting down beside his sister, he smiled. "Don't worry sister-dear, I'm going to make them pay, all of them. The moment that backstabbing demon sets foot in another body…I'll burn him alive and scatter the ashes…and as for those pesky twins…" He picked up one of her throwing knives, examining it for a moment before hurling it towards the dart board. It landed smack dab in the center, penetrating the photo of the Pines twins which he had stolen from the wreckage of the Mystery Shack.

"…I'm going to show them the kind of pain which they can't comprehend…" He giggled at the imaginary response his sister gave, and picked up another knife.

**-+=****Exw wklv****^0^****lv qrz****=+-**

_(In reverse falls) _

Opening the door, the old man stepped out onto the porch of his lake house. There was a smile of his face as he watched mayflies zip over the lake, never truly aware of the creature's which lurked just below its surface. _Just like human beings. _

He grabbed his fishing rod, and returned inside, eating the last of his putrid oatmeal, before tossing the bowl in the sink. Walking down the back hallway, he caught a glimpse of his brother thrashing against his restraints as the TV played program after program. _Stubborn bastard. _

Ignoring the sounds of his twin's incomprehensible screams and grunts, he descended the stairs. The sight of the portal never ceased to amaze him, its rabid colors swirling and twisting with unbridled passion. Reeling up, he cast his line, watching as the enchanted hook pierced the portal. It took him a moment, but he grinned cruelly as he caught something, and pulled back on the line, dragging an interdimensional monster into his reality. The creature had no eyes, ears, or nose. It did however, have a huge mouth, filled with jagged razor teeth, which encircled its entire mouth and throat, like a worm.

The creature leapt towards him, but he sent it sprawling with one blow, his brass knuckles slamming into the boneless creature with a squishing sound. The creature whimpered and he picked it up. "You know where the Heart of a Thousand is, go get it, and I'll let you return to your world…" The creature nodded, an apparently universal gesture. Then Stan threw it up the staircase, watching as it half-slithered, half-crawled up the splintery steps.

_Nearly thirty years, and it's all finally coming together._

**-+=****dqg wkdw****^0^****zdv wkhq.****=+-**

**_I hope this was a good first chapter, I know my writing quality has improved since "Reversed Situations" I just hope that it is a noticeable improvement. _**

**_I apologize in case I didn't do the code correctly, just tell me if it doesn't make sense with the Caeser cipher and I will do better next chapter. If it does make sense and you decipher it, feel free to post in the review section. I want these to be as good as possible, so you'll probably only receive one a week (two occasionally). _**


	2. The rancid stench of dubiety

**2 **

**Warning: Things get pretty dark and adult.**

**-+=CAESER^0^CIPHER=+-**

Gideon stumbled into the kitchen, opening the fridge and frowning when he saw that someone had almost finished the orange juice. Picking up the carton, he placed it on the table beside the giggling Mabel, who was staring at something and smiling warmly. Gideon stood on his tip toes to reach a glass from the cabinet, and noted that there was one missing. Glancing over at the sink, he saw a lone glass sitting in the center of it.

Putting two and two together, the deductive child came to a fairly obvious conclusion. _Dipper's been up late again._

He poured the last of the orange liquid into his cup glumly, sighing when it only reached a quarter of the container's height. Mabel continued to giggle every few seconds, stroking her pet's head and taking spoonfuls of Pentagram cereal. She giggled for the seven-millionth time, and Gideon glanced up from his glass, slightly annoyed. "What's so funny?" The mischievous brunette glanced up from her snapshot, but her face fell after a moment. "Oh uh, nothing just…a cute photo of a chipmunk." The white hared boy raised an eyebrow, his calculating mind trying to figure out why she was acting so suspicious. _What could she be hiding? _

Knowing full well that he wouldn't get a proper answer from her, he decided to change the subject. "Where's Pacifica? She wasn't in her sleeping bag." Mabel averted eye contact once more, and glanced at the splintery floor. _What is wrong with her? _That thought was interrupted by the entrance of the man who was paying for his room and board, Stan Pines. The man strode in, proudly displaying his new cane. It was gold in coloration, and had a pyramid with an eye on it as the handle. "Well what do you think?" Stan looked at Mabel expectantly, and raised his cane into the air to allow her a better look at it. Gideon smiled up at the man, "I like it, it's very stylish and it fits with all the triangular merchandise you have." The shop owner gave him a brief glance, and smiled slightly, surprising the nine year old, and making him feel warm inside.

Stan had, up until now, mostly ignored Gideon. The first few days of harboring him had been quite awkward, as the miser had seemed almost resentful of his presence. But this showed that they were progressing. It also made Gideon feel good to receive praise, even from someone he barely knew. His father mostly ignored him, and his mother was always out at social events, being the life of the party.

The miser's niece however, was not nearly as enthusiastic. She was staring at the cane with a slightly disturbed look on her face, and Waddles slipped out of her arms as she began to speak. "Grunkle Stan…don't you think it's…a tad…I mean its…it looks like Bill." Stan "pffted" indignantly, and spoke with his frequently used air of over confidence. "Of course it does! People saw him flying through the air, him at the explosion, I need to cash in on this while the wild accusations are flying and people know zippiddy-doo-da about what he really is!"

Mabel sighed in response to her great uncle's avarice and spoke as he adjusted his bow tie and moved towards the front of the shop. "Stan, I don't think we'll ever know what Bill is…" But the elder was already gone, and Gideon was trying to solve the pentagram shaped maze on the back of the cereal box. The normally enthusiastic tween stared at the table top, seemingly worried. _But she's never worried…what could have her so worked up? _They heard a yawn, and they both glanced up to see a drowsy Dipper enter. Gideon called out jokingly to him, "Hey Dip, stop drinking the OJ in the middle of the night!" The pre-teen detective rolled his eyes, and smiled good naturedly. Mabel smiled and sat up, calling to her brother in a razzed tone. 

"Hey bro, did you have any trouble getting out of bed?" The pre-teen blushed, and Mabel giggled as he grabbed a bowl, the carton of milk, and a spoon, all without making eye contact. Gideon glanced between the two, disturbed by their changes in behavior, and confused by the private joke at Dipper's expense. _What is she implying? _Pacifica stumbled in, and gave Dipper a strange smile. Gideon's world stopped as he realized that her hair was disheveled.

_Her hair is never disheveled. She always makes sure it's perfect. What the hell is going on? _Wendy burst into the room, surprising the pajama wearing quartet with a desperate look. "Guys…you have to come see this."

**-+=Wkh pdq^0^grzqvwdluv=+-**

Wendy had been walking to work, deciding to take the long way since it was such a pretty day. She had been startled and disturbed by what she had found however, not twenty feet from the lodgings of her best friends. The redhead had sprinted forward, dashing past Stan as he tried to get her attention, and bursting into the kitchen.

She waited anxiously as her companions dressed, afraid that something would happen to the atrocity she had stumbled upon. Of course they had to wake up Robert (or Robbie 2 as Wendy had mentally labeled him), which took even longer, and caused Wendy to grab Dipper's hand the moment the group began to shuffle out the front door, and yank him in the direction of her finding. "Woah, Wendy…SLOW DOWN!" The redhead wasn't listening, and practically dragged the dazed tween through the forest brush and into the clearing she had stumbled upon. He took a moment to catch his breath, and blushed, stepping away as he realized their hands were touching.

She walked over to the pile and knelt beside it, trying to keep a repugnant look off her face, "Now I don't know about you…but that doesn't look normal to me…" Dipper stepped closer, and his observation caught in his mouth as he got a better look at the pile of dead bats. Wendy continued to stare at the rotting mass, her voice wavering slightly. "You know that weird smell that tourists have been complaining about? I'm guessing that this is it." Dipper picked up one of the carcasses gingerly, sniffing it, before growing a look of revolution and throwing the corpse back into the pile.

They heard twigs break as Mabel caught up, and stopped short beside her brother as she grimaced at the putrid sight. Robert stumbled out of the bushes, brushing leaves out of his beard. He was promptly followed by his young companions, who were both unable to speak once they caught sight of the pile. The librarian on the other hand, was almost completely unphased by the rancid pile. He leaned down on one knee, inspecting a crumpled bat with care, speaking in a barely audible voice. "Fascinating…"

Wendy's eyes widened at his observation. _I wouldn't call it that._ _Weird sure, but definitely not fascinating. That's just creepy. _She held her tongue though, half because she didn't want to taste the foulness of the scene. Gideon stepped over to the absent minded teen and tapped his shoulder, "Uh Robert, do you know about any creatures which eat bats?"

The dark haired teen coughed as he realized what he had been doing, and rose, averting eye contact with his young colleague. "Well I uh…that is…I'm afraid not. I uh, I've never read about something like that, or encountered it for that matter. Sorry." Pacifica stepped closer, "It looks like whatever it was, it cooked them." Wendy glanced back at the skinned bats, and felt her stomach churn with realization. Mabel spoke first, stating the disgusting reality that they all knew to be true, in a small voice.

"So whatever killed them, it-it roasted them, and ate their skin. And…and it was human?" She turned to her brother, who just stared at the pile with a grim look. "Who…who would do something like that?" Dipper moved forward, and pointed at a nearby cave. "I think…I have a theory."

**-+=lv doprvw^0^dv edg=+-**

_(In Reverse falls)_

Wendy glanced around the shop for the millionth time. Something wasn't right. Her boss, Bud Pines, was acting strangely, and she felt as though something was missing. As if there should be someone, or multiple people hanging around the Zone, but weren't. Soos was here, her boss was here, but there seemed to be too much room. Somehow she remembered being really annoyed by two people (_Children? She recalled them being small_), but their faces and names eluded her.

The door opened and she perked up, calling out to the soggy man who stood in the door way. "Welcome to the Mystery Zone! We put the Q in quality." The man smiled, and she noticed that there was something slightly wrong with his eyes. Shrugging that aside, she continued to yell slogans at the customer. Despite being a goth, she was quite enthusiastic about her job, more so then about anything else in her life. And it was an easy job here, or a mind-splittingly boring one at the office where her dad worked.

The man smiled again, almost creepily, like he didn't exactly know how to smile properly, and walked up to the counter, with _Official Mystery Zonetm lamb shears_. As she picked up his purchase and began to rig it up, he began to idly chat with her. "So uh, do you know where the previous owner of this establishment might be located?" She shrugged, "I didn't know this place even had a previous owner." The man chuckled and leaned an elbow on the counter, speaking in a friendly tone. "Oh yeah! Local rumor is that he sold the place along with his last name."

Not really listening, the redhead extended a hand. "That'll be 21.99$...hey I know you…you're the microwavable casadia man!" The man chuckled yet again, and removed his wallet. "Yeah well, you can call me Fiddleford." The ginger frowned, "Okay…that's kind of a-" "Shitty name? You bet your britches, my parents HATED me." She smiled, "Yeah, I know how that is…my middle name is the single worst on Earth." The millionaire leaned forward, "Is it one of those names that sound like they came from another dimension?" Wendy rolled her eyes, "Yeah, something like that…" The customer smiled and picked up the lamb shears, handing her the money. He looked thoughtful as she placed the money in the register, "Y'know…there's a twenty dollar tip waiting for you if you can point me in the direction of Old Man Gleeful's place…"

The goth shuddered at the name, and felt slightly dazed as a sea of awful memories came flooding back. "What do you want with that creep?" Her voice became sharp. _Any friend of that sicko is not a friend of mine. _The man leaned further forward, whispering "I'm gonna have that hovel he calls a house, DE-MO-LISHED. I was gonna go give him one last chance to sell the land to me." The teen gave him a vengeful smile, "He's down by the lake, about three hundred feet from the dock." Fiddleford smiled and handed her a fifty dollar bill. "Woah, this…this is more than…"

He spoke as he turned towards the door, a disturbing grin striking his features. "Yeah well, you know us rich folk…" The door swung open as he stepped out, "…always throwing our cash about willy-nilly."

**-+=****dv****^0^=+-**

Dipper Gleeful sat in the dark, tearing off the skin of his latest kill/breakfast. He enjoyed the feel of blood running freely across his fingertips. With every strip removed, with every bone broken, he imagined his enemies, lying helpless before him, unable to do anything but scream as he tortured them beyond any semblance of sanity.

The first was that pitiful excuse of a counterpart, who would try to be brave, but would eventually break beneath the pain, and surrender all his secrets in exchange for respite. _I will give him none. _The second would be Cipher, in human form, cracking stupid jokes even as he was mutilated. The third would be that pathetic version of his sister, who would probably whine and scream the whole way through. Thinking about her reminded him of when she had attempted to comfort him, upon his discovery of his dead sister. She had been hugging her brother and smiling not moments before, and she thought that HE, the boy who had come close to _murdering_ her, would want her sympathy.

_That stupid little girl. Probably had the world handed to her on a silver platter, like that stupid Northwest brat. I bet she thinks she's better than my sister, just because she was more accepted by the slug-brained masses. The only reason they ever accept you is if you're a slow minded fool like them. And that's what she is, an idiot, a daydreamer. I'd like to tie her down, turn her dreams into nightmares, I'd tear off her-_

There was a clattering sound, and Dipper realized that he had been squeezing the bat corpse as his thoughts progressed in violence. Now the shattered bits of bat bone lay at his feet, and he kicked them aside, angry at himself for slipping into his subconscious. Disgusted with his lost meal, he wiped his gore covered hands against the stone floor of the cavern, and glanced up at the ceiling, hoping to spot another easy meal. His concentration was broken when he heard a voice pierce the silence. "It was your theory, so you check!"

_Her. _How dare she have his sister's voice, how dare she use his sister's tongue to produce the gibbering madness that she classified as sentences? How _dare _she have the audacity to show up at his lair, bringing her cohorts with her? _How the fuck did she find me? I barely left this cave accept to dispose of the bodies-_He practically slapped himself when he realized that he had led his foolish enemy's right to his den. Then he heard his own voice, practically quivering in fear. "Are you kidding me? If he's in there…he'll MURDER me. Robert, you're taller, and you know hand to hand. Go check it out!"

A third voice (how many of them were there?) entered the conversation, and Dipper quickly came to the conclusion that it belonged to the librarian. "Well um, maybe we should uh…draw lots?" _Oh god, he even sounds pathetic. _Dipper stood, barley hearing Pacifica suggest to her companions that they enter simultaneously. The psychotic performer rolled his sister into the darkness at the back of the cave, putting a hand on her head once he came to a stop. He whispered a promise to return soon, and then he kissed her cold, bandaged forehead. Brushing dried blood from his lips, he glanced around the cavern. Using the power of his amulet, the twelve year old raised a pile of pebbles and bat remains into the air, and ran towards the mouth of the cave as Gideon sighed in exasperation and stepped inside. "I'll do it you big bab-" Dipper slugged his opponent in the stomach, and smiled as the nine year old collapsed onto the ground. _Serves you right you little sack of filth. _

He unleashed the wave of debris upon his dawdling foes, and ran past them with a triumphant giggle. The sounds of their recovery and pursuit him, but he was in peak physical condition, and easily out ran them. He had made sure to create a mental map of these woods, and was certain that he would be able to lose them in town, the borders being close by. Then the world started to slow down, and the image of a triangle flashed in the corner of his eye. He turned slightly, noticing color seep back into the world in what must have been a hallucination. _Probably brought on by exposure to the sun, and lack of sleep. _

His foot entangled in a root, and he tumbled onto his side, gravel and dust making contact with his cheek and leaving some nasty scratches. Cursing under his breath, the former magician stood, and wiped the blood away, before trying to regain his bearings. "Don't move." Stopping in his tracks, the nair-do-well turned slowly, and observed the redhead, she had a baseball size stone raised in the air, and was staring at him with a determined look. "Guys…come quick, I found him!" Dipper took a step back and she prepared to launch the projectile. "Do you really want to find out how good my pitching arm is?"

The young sadist turned back and smiled coyly, "You're not gonna use that, you don't want to kill me." Wendy's face scrunched up, and she stepped closer, "I'm not gonna-" "Oh I doubt that beaning me with a rock that size would _kill me_, but there's a 10% chance that I could get a severe concussion. And while I'm sure your "friends" would enjoy my leave from this earthly realm, I can't imagine that they would think of you the same way, accident or not." The ginger swallowed, "They would understand-" "Oh I'm sure they would, just like they would understand how you made a deal with their worst enemy." Her eyes widened, "Yeah I picked up on that. I'm observant. Back to the matter at hand, I'm sure they'd be extremely forgiving if they found out that you "accidentally" offed the same person who tortured you."

The redhead practically snarled and stepped closer, trying to get a word in but interrupted once again. The boy moved close enough that with every word he practically spat on her. "I seem to recall this world's version Mabel making the wrong call about me and my sister, something about _no one deserving to die_." The redhead fumed and he prodded her upper thigh, "Aww what's the matter?"

He put on a mocking voice, like that of an oversized baby, "Did the big bad lumberjack girl get nightmares about a couple of wittle twelve year olds? I can only imagine what we did to you in your mind, what with you all tied down and defenseless? Did you not like it when Dippy and Mabel weren't following you around like the obedient wittle dogs they are? Did you not like it when we weren't practically worshipping you?" He chuckled darkly, and dropped the voice of mockery, unaware that the anger which was boiling within the ginger cashier threatened to become his undoing. "Just like my sister to haunt the dreams a stupid, little girl, even after her own death, she can still scare the hell outta mouth-breathers like you. I bet we gave really gave you hell in your nightmare. I bet we made you our teenage bi-"

Wendy grabbed him by the collar, and lifted him into the air, startling Dipper with the fire in her eyes. "Shut up you little freak! Now you're gonna listen to me. If you ever try to get inside my head again, or suggest something like that again, I will have no regrets in beating the living shit out of you. DO YOU **UNDERSTAND**?!"

The warlock focused on her emerald eyes and smirked as he realized the force behind her exaggerated aggression. Then he caught sight of who was standing on the other side of clearing. Bursting into giggles, he began to wonder how much his counterpart had heard.

_Everything judging from the look on his face. What a square. _

Confused by his tittering, Wendy realized he was staring at something, she turned her head and his sniggering turned into rapacious laughter when he spied the look on his captor's face. The little mouth breather was on the verge of tears, and Dipper took advantage of the redhead's regret as she tried to explain herself.

Kicking the teen sharply in the stomach, Dipper fell to the ground and watched as the winded ginger stumbled backward and tripped over the same root which had ensnared him. "Make sure to catch your princess mouth-breather!" he continued to call as he weaved betwixt the pines. "If you're lucky she'll give you a kiss!" Laughing to himself the whole way, he pushed through some tight bushes, and came to a halt in front of his opponent's residence.

_The old man should have a new car by now, I can steal the keys and drive into town. _Smiling, he strutted towards the tourist attraction, and was sent flying when a golf cart slammed into him.

**-+=^0^wkh=+-**

Gideon was feeling particularly cocky.

He had been let out of Juvenile hall not two weeks ago, and spent that time gaining Intel, planning, and of course, coming up with snappy comebacks. He couldn't wait to see the looks of suprise on the face of the Pines family, they would pay for their transgressions against him. They would all kneel before him in the end, and Mabel would be his, weather she liked it or not. _When her brother's life lies in the palm of my hand, she will have no choice but to accept our love. _

As if on cue, the Pines brother in question burst out of the forest, and Gideon ducked behind a nearby stone, peeking over the top, and watching the actions of his nemesis from afar. But something was wrong with him, he was covered in dirt and blood, and he was smiling sickly, in a way that reminded the former entertainer of his own smile. Then a golf cart slammed into him, and that idiot of a handyman stepped off the device, a look of worry crossing his face.

Gideon was surprised when Mabel stepped out of the woods, and seemed almost relived that the pre-teen had been rendered unconscious. But his hopes that she had finally realized how much of a loser her brother was, were dashed, as Dipper stepped out behind her, followed by blonde girl and a well-dressed teen. _What the-but how-are they-_Gideon yanked at his perfect hair in frustration, having trouble comprehending this situation. The second Dipper was dressed as normal, but the fact that the first had been trying to escape gave Gideon the impression that the second was some kind of changeling or clone. The redhead who hung around with the twins entered the scene, avoiding eye contact with the second Dipper, but staring at the first Dipper resentfully. Then a familiar looking white haired boy entered the scene. (*)

Then the driver of the golf cart picked up the strangely dressed and unconscious pre-teen, and carried him to the Shack, followed by the entourage.

_Well, I should have spent more time watching and less time coming up with theoretical comebacks. _Sighing to himself, the child performer ran over to his rival's shop, and peered through the window.

**-+=wuldqjoh^0^=+-**

"Absolutely, positively, not!" Stan was enraged by the very suggestion of the idea. Dipper knew before asking that it wouldn't be easy convincing his great uncle to allow them to chain his counterpart up in the basement. But he hadn't predicted this level of resistance.

"It would just be until we figure out what to do with him!" He implored the miser, but Stan remain adamant. "No way…you already have the three miscreants staying here-" Mabel hushed him, and glanced at the kitchen door. Robert, Gideon and Pacifica were all in the back of the shop, told to wait with the unconscious Dipper as the twins smoothed things over with Stan. She knew they were two rooms over, but the walls were not particularly thick and she didn't want the living situation to become even more awkward.

"-Now I can't even shout in my own house?! FINE! The point is that you're not gonna miraculously stumble upon a way to deal with the little creep tomorrow, that you weren't able to think of today!" Dipper gripped his brow in frustration, "Well as soon as we find the totem, we'll be able to send him back to where he came from-" Stan interrupted him, stepping closer to the pre-teen and almost looking intimidating. "Oh yeah? And how's that workin' out for ya? Last I checked, you were no closer to finding "the totem", and I seem to remember you saying you would have found it before my two week time limit was up…or was I incorrect?" Dipper felt the anger grow inside, "Listen, I get that this inconvenient, but these are _people_, people who have saved our lives, and we can't just abandon them. Now you know we can't bring the other me to the police, so I suggest we keep him locked up in the basement. You know, keep your enemies closer and whatnot."

The old man gave a mocking laugh, and poked Dipper in the chest lightly, "Oh so that he can kill us in our sleep? Brilliant idea, brain-boy." The pre-teen fumed, "You KNOW we can't go to the police, and since I imagine you won't be paying for his medical bills, the mental hospital is out of the question!" Mabel tried to say something, but Stan was a possessed man, "Why keep him anywhere? He'd break out of those places anyway!" Again Mabel tried to interject, but Dipper jumped back into the argument. "Well we can't just let him go…there is no alternative!"

Stan crossed his elbows, and gave his nephew a look which seemed to indicate that he disagreed. Mabel and Dipper's eyes both widened when they realized what he was implying and Dipper stepped closer. "You-you're not saying we should kill him?" The old man sighed in exhaustion, and Dipper noticed the bags under his eyes, "I…of course not. I'm not gonna ask a couple of twelve year olds to kill someone. I…I could do it though." Mabel held her hands to her face in horror, and Dipper stared at his guardian incredulously. "You…you can't be serious…he…he's the same age as us…"

Stan turned around, his face out of view, "He's also responsible for almost destroying THE HUMAN RACE. Frankly, I would be doing him a favor, the little creep doesn't have a future, or friends. He was eating bats according to your story…and besides, I could kill him practically painlessly." Dipper grabbed his arm, and pulled his gaze back. "You _can't be serious_!? WE ARE NOT KILLING HIM! He might be crazy, and yeah, I don't like him any more then you do, but he got screwed over by the universe, and he has his whole life ahead of him…he deserves a chance to…you'know…deal with his psychological problems and live a normal life." Stan rolled his eyes, "Oh please, that kid is never gonna be anything other than be a maniac…he deserves exactly-" "THAT'S NOT FOR YOU TO DECIDE!" Dipper found himself a little scared by his own outburst, but he continued to scowl at his great uncle.

"What is wrong with you? All summer I've been with you, and you never seemed like the kinda guy who would kill anyone! Now you practically jump at the chance." Stan rolled his eyes again, "Oh stop being so naive, if anyone deserves it he does, and you know it!" Dipper looked ready to strangle the old man, Mabel was unable to remember when he had last been this angry. "Need I remind you that he is still me! He's still a person and yeah, he's an awful person, but HE'S STILL ME!" "I don't doubt it, YOUR ACTIN' JUST AS CRAZY RIGHT NOW!"

Dipper was about to reply, when Mabel reached her limit. "BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP!"

They both turned and saw Mabel glaring at them with nearly tear filled eyes, "Here's how it's going to go down…you-" she turned and grabbed Stan's new bow tie, pulling him down to eye level. "-You are not going to kill _anyone, _and you're going to get some sleep while we run the shop for you, because you are not thinking straight." She tapped his forehead, "And you're gonna hire our friends, work for food. And you-" she turned to Dipper and grabbed his vest, "You and Robert are gonna find a supernatural answer to our living space problem, then you can look for the totem." She turned around, "Now I'm gonna go get my shoulder pads and suit." Turning back sharply, she gave her family members a questioning look, "DO. YOU. UNDERSTAND?"

They glanced at one another before nodding weakly and watching the besweatered girl run upstairs, in search of the suit she had used for the weekend in which she had been placed in charge of the Mystery Shack. Stan glanced back at Dipper, before sighing and retreating towards his room. "He can stay for the night." Dipper smiled slightly, and ran over to the backroom. Upon opening the door, he began assigning jobs, "Okay, Robert we're gonna need you to look into pocket dimensions, Pacifica and Gideon, you're gonna need get your disguises on and go buy some chains. Me and Mabel will run the Shack while you guys are gone. Is everyone good?" They were surprised by their retrospective missions, but nodded, each understanding at their own pace. "Great. Now let's go!" He began clapping his hands, and they scattered, Robert moving towards the spare room, where he kept his books, while Pacifica and Gideon opened the secret passage, their disguises packed downstairs.

Dipper stepped out of the room and called Soos, knowing that he would unable to move his knocked out counterpart without the handyman's help. He dreaded interacting with Wendy for the rest of the day, but tried to place his anxiety and angst aside for later.

**-+=^0^****xsvwdluv.=****+-**

Mabel sighed upon entering her bedroom, she flopped down on the bed, and moaned into the mattress. Waddles licked her cheek, and she gave the hog a smile, before rolling off the bed. "I don't get it Waddles…" The pig hopped off the bed and followed its owner over to the closet. "…when did everything get so complicated?"

She sighed once more, and opened the door, checking just to make sure that there weren't any invisible wizards inside, before stepping in, and checking through the line of clothes.

Her pig went up to the triangular window, raised its hooves onto the windowsill, and peered outside. Almost immediately it turned around, and ran back over to its owner, who had just stepped out of the closet and was holding her suit. "What's the matter?" Confused by the swine's squeals of distress, Mabel crept over to the window, and peaked out. Seeing nothing, she frowned and turned back to the pig with a smile. "Don't worry, the pterodactyls can't get in here…" She glanced back at the window, and her frown deepened. "Well…at least I don't think that they can…" She gave her pet a light stroke on the head, before stepping away from the window, and swung the closet door close. She grabbed her outfit and ran into the bathroom, slightly excited about wearing her oversized suit again.

The pig ran back to the window, staring out the glass at the eyeless creature which resided on the edge of the roof, and stared back hungrily.

**-+=READTHE^0^PAGEBREAKERS=+-**

**_Hope you enjoyed, someone tell me if the code message has any mistakes, and I'll try to do a better job next time. By the way, I'll be going on vacation soon so uploads may slow considerably (I was moving before this, sorry about everything moving at molasses pace). _**


	3. A very busy day

**3 **

**-+=FINAL CAESER^0^CIPHER=+-**

_(In reverse falls)_

Bill sat with his back to a large bush, just thirteen or so feet from Stan Gleeful's house, trying to get in a comfortable but hidden position as he bided his time. Eventually the old man would exit the residence, and he would be given a chance to enter the hovel and complete his objective.

Sitting all alone, his mind wandered and he began to feel bad for the spirit of Fiddleford, who would most likely end up stuck in the Mindscape forever.

_Join the club pal! _He rolled his eyes and continued to shift around, finding that human legs were far too gangly, and that he never knew what to do with his arms. Deciding to let them fall to his sides, he felt the drying grass deposit fresh dew on his knuckles and stared up at the baby blue sky with his new set of eyes. Breathing in the fresh air, he enjoyed the feeling of the breeze on his skin. _God it's been a long time since I've been in a body. _He pushed down the plethora of memories which returned, like a geyser long since hidden under a pile of boulders.

His mind was far too twisted, too entangled in its own lies, for him to be able to remember it all in only one way. A personal mantra of his came to mind, and he repeated it aloud, albeit in a soft-spoken whisper. "Lie until your lies become a reality, lie until you can't tell the difference." Regardless of his fractured psyche, the demon was certain that Fiddleford deserved his fate, and somewhere, in the back of his mind, he knew that the old man had been essential to The Plan, but had done awful things (quite essential as well unfortunately) and now, he had received his punishment. _And that's all that matters, right? _

Sighing once more, the demonically possessed man's ears perked when he heard the snapping of twigs, and he glanced over the top of the bush, careful to stay unseen.

Just a squirrel.

Sighing, he returned to his original pose, and tried to amuse himself. _Just the look on Stanford's face will be worth ALL this sneaking around. _He sighed and pushed that selfish thought aside. _You have to remember, this isn't about you, this all for them. _He closed his eyes, and gazed past the dimensional barrier, and smiled upon seeing his friends, still pushing their way through every day as it came. Picking up a twig, he fiddled with it, and giggled as the word "fiddle" now applied to his name.

He knew that when the time came, his plan would be revealed, and they would fight back, claiming that his plan was inhuman and that he had betrayed them. _If only you could know what I do…if only you knew that what must be done, MUST be done. _He snapped the twig between his fingers, and an image of "her" flashed to mind, shattered into a thousand variables like every other memory.

_At all costs._

**-+=Zkdw sodqh^0^ri=+-**

"Hey Gid, do you…do you think we could talk about something?" The whole time they had been in the store, Pacifica been particularly nervous, and it was clear that her best friend was not enjoying it. Feeling conflicted about what had happened last night with Dipper, she had continued to flip-flop over whether to ask the white haired boy about it at all, and had not been much help in the "Let's find some good chains to tie up our psychopathic enemy" department. She didn't know why, maybe it was because he had tied them all up and Pacifica hated double-standards, but she didn't feel like chaining up Dipper Gleeful was such a good idea.

But she was never the "let's make a plan" girl, so she went along with the slightly inhumane plan, following Gideon and occasionally offering her passive opinion when he asked for it.

Not to mention, just thinking about it started to put perverted thoughts into her head, about _her _Dipper (When did he become mine?). Cursing hormones, she began to wonder how can someone could be so awful in one life and incredible in another.

As they reached the back of the aisle, she had become resolved. One the one hand, since meeting him at the beginning of summer, she had always been able to discuss anything with the inquisitive child. Her "friends" had been either too forceful in their suggestions, or too desperate to please her to be honest. But Gideon, he was mature, methodical, he thought everything through. He had always been able to help, with everything from fashion, to having to spend Summerween without her parents. Heck, he had even been helpful with _girl troubles _(knowing a near disturbing amount about the subject)_. _

If she could share that, why couldn't she tell him about a silly little crush?

On the other hand, he was still a nine year old, and she had never discussed boys with him. Whenever she attempted to bring it up, he shied from the subject, probably feeling uncomfortable when giving advice about dating his own gender.

She had decided in the end, that he deserved to know, that she had already seen him confused by the events, and frankly, if there was ever a time in which she needed his counsel, now would be it. I mean, for Pete's sake, he had risked life and limb, to prove that her great-great-grandfather had founded the town, _just _to make her feel better on Founder's Day.

So, choking down her anxiety, she tapped him on the shoulder and queried once more if she could ask him about a serious matter.

"Sure thing, but first…which one of these do you like better…" Grabbing the options, he turned back to her, "Red…" he raised the red chain with a smile, "…or blue." He raised the opposing chains with an even bigger smile. Pacifica glanced between the chains in confusion. "Gid, I don't think that the color matters." He rolled his eyes and smirked, "Well of course it doesn't matter, I was JUST asking…" He turned back to the rack, and chose the blue chain. He seemed to be on the opposite side of the spectrum as her, almost enthused about ting up their arch nemesis. "I still don't understand why we can't use rope…" The boy snorted, and picked a larger size of chain. "He'd probably tear at it with his teeth, which, by the way he may have filled to look like vampire fangs."

Sighing, the blonde tried to get back on track, "Listen, the thing is…I um," "Now that we've got the chains, we should find a gag, that way he doesn't wake us up in the middle of the night." He put the chains over his shoulder, and began moving in the direction of the aisle with the duct tape, and Pacifica was forced to bound after him. "Gideon…I want to talk to you about Dipper!" The boy slowed his pace but did not wait for her to catch up, still turned away as he gave his reply. "Which one? And what about?" Pacifica sighed at the abnormal complexities of the situation, and tried to figure out the best way to phrase her response.

"The good Dipper, and I um…" He turned and raised an eyebrow, waiting patiently for her explanation. "I…" She glanced back at her feet, and he sighed, before continuing on his way. Biting her lip, the blonde raised her head and called after him, confessing a little bit too loudly.

"I think I like him."

Gideon came to an abrupt halt, and Pacifica practically crashed into him. "Of course you like him, your friends." He walked up to the duct tape, and she rolled her eyes, "You know what I mean, I like-like him. I uh, I have a crush on him." He glanced at her with a cold look, before turning away and muttering a response. "You know that it won't work out." She moved her gaze to the linoleum as he picked up the tape, still averting eye contact. "I know that we'll be leaving here soon but I just-" Her normally affable friend replied with practically a hiss. "You know that we can't keep opening inter-dimensional portals just so you can have a boyfriend, right?"

Pacifica folded her arms, his snarky comment stinging her ego considerably. "That's not what I was suggesting!" _Was it? _ "I mean, he just…he makes me feel safe, like all my worries go away when I'm with him." Gideon turned back to her, and she saw him roll his eyes flippantly. "And you believe that he reciprocates your feelings?" The fake Scott followed him towards the checkout, biting her lip. "Well I don't know…I mean…maybe…?" Gideon placed the chains and duct tape on the conveyor belt, and glanced back at her disinterestedly. "So then it's just hormones?" She glared back, turning away, "You know what? Forget it. I thought I could discuss this with you. But apparently I was wrong."

Turning in the direction of the automatic doors, Pacifica speed-walked towards the exit, her vision beginning to blur. She heard Gideon say something to the cashier in an awful Mexican accent, before running over to her. "Paz, WAIT!" She came to a stop and tried to brush the wetness from her eyes, not wanting him to see how much his comments had gotten to her. "I'm sorry…" His voice was low, and he didn't sound as he normally did. Instead, he sounded like a scared little kid.

Turning back to him, she saw the regret in his eyes and her face softened. Exhaling slowly, she stepped closer and listened as he apologized further, "I just-I just wanted your honest opinion. Why did you become so hurtful back there?" He sighed, "I was je-I just umm, can we please just forget it?" She shook her head, "Well…could we talk about it later?" The blonde reluctantly caved, and he looked slightly relived, "In my honest opinion, it doesn't seem like a good idea to me. I'm sorry, I know…Dipper's a pretty great guy. And I'm sorry about what I said, you-you didn't d-deserve any of that. Are…are we good?" He extended a hand, and she sighed, before shaking it. "Ok. But you have to tell me before the day is over." Gideon nodded, looking extremely nervous about the prospects of revealing his intentions.

He turned and ran back over to the counter, handing the checkout lady some cash, before grabbing the restraints and running over to her. They exited the store in silence, and the only way that the walk back to the Shack could have been more awkward is if they had been aware that Gideon Gleeful had been watching them with binoculars, and his head was spinning with confusion.

**-+=halvwhqfh^0^frxog=+-**

Robert picked up his version of Journal number 3, and the one in this world. He had been reading the two, every night for the past two weeks. As soon as he finished the page on one, he would go to the same page on another, and compare it. According to his research, mermen didn't kidnap young girls in this universe, multi-bears were not nearly as aggressive, and dinosaurs (not mammoths) had been encased in amber (instead of ice) deep underground. Other than that, and a few spare details, there weren't many other differences.

And then there was Bill.

With a giant "DO NOT SUMMON AT ALL COSTS!" written across the dirty page, and with what looked like blood stains surrounding the instruction, the author of the Journals had certainly been no friend of this world's version of Bill, and Robert had begun to wonder why the demon was comparatively good in his universe. According to all he had read about demons, they were chaotic creatures which delighted in causing pain and suffering. Now that fit the description of this world's version of Bill, but how could a demon be on the side of justice? Sighing at these unanswered questions, he flipped to the page about Bill in his journal number three, and was startled by what lay on the page.

It was a mess of scribblings, with some doodles which resembled his Bill, but could have been trigonometry as well, with all the little numbers and notes about "access points." After closing the blinds, he hit the lights and grabbed the black light, waving it over the page and startled by the big block lettering, so distinct yet similar to that of the maroon book beside it. Written, in the exact same place where "DO NOT SUMMON!" had been on the pages' counterpart, was written "GOAT BLOOD REQUIRED FOR SUMMONING."

Robert pulled out his notebook, and wrote it down under important notes. Finally we're gonna be able to communicate with him, if anyone knows the way back, or how to find the totem, then it'll be him. Putting that thought aside for later, he picked up the journals, adding them to the stack he had lying against the spare room's couch, before picking up the stack, and prodding the door open with his foot. Right now's a time to focus though, you have to figure out a way to transport you and your friends into and out of a pocket dimension. He hesitated, before adding "safely" to the end of the note and continuing on his way.

**-+=eh^0^pruh=+-**

"Sir, you look like man who could use an enchanted piece of rubble!" The customer turned to Dipper and stepped closer, inspecting the rock, before turning his gaze to the twelve year old. "Aren't you a little young to be running this place on your own?"

Mabel stuck her head out of a shirt rack behind the man, "He has me helping!" The man yelped in surprise and Dipper saw his chance. "This piece of rubble will stop creepy little girls from bothering you!" The tourist dropped a couple of twenties in front of the eye patch wearing tween and grabbed the rock, before scrambling towards the exit.

Mabel hopped out of the rack and crossed her arms as she proceeded to pout. "I am not creepy! I'm charming!" Dipper rolled his eyes and picked up the money, "Oh c'mon it's not that bad." Her brow furrowed, "People are paying to be away from me! Besides…this wouldn't happen if you let _me _wear the eyepatch!" He raised a dismissive hand, "Ah-ah-ah! You get the fez, I get the eyepatch. That's just how it goes."

His sister pouted harder, and blew a strand of hair out of her eyes, clearly dislodged by climbing around inside the rack of _"I went to the Mystery shack and all I got was this lousy shirt"_ shirts. Catching sight of someone trying to pay Wendy for her pig, Mabel yelled "HE'S NOT FOR SALE!" as she charged towards the counter. Dipper smiled and rolled his eyes at his sister's antics, calling out to Robert when he turned and saw the librarian inspecting Gompers the goat. "Robert! Any progress?" The newly mustachioed individual moved his gaze to the pre-teen, and smiled nervously. "Well I umm, I may have something about enchanted mirrors, but umm, I'll need to visit the library." Dipper sighed and asked if he needed the keys to the golf cart. "No thank you, I-I much rather prefer to walk thank you very much." He turned and began moving towards the exit, but stopped midway, and ran back up to Dipper, looking incredibly anxious.

_What's his problem? Does he have somewhere to be? _"I uh, I was just wondering, perhaps you could tell me…why is there a goat in here?" Dipper shrugged, "The goat comes and goes, usually he isn't in the house cause he ate one of Stan's fez's. I guess he just wondered in…why do you ask?" The teen shrugged and began to sweat lividly under Dipper's tense gaze, before shuffling back towards the exit, muttering "No reason." practically under his breath.

Dipper watched him leave, his world put slightly off kilter due to the nervousness of his ally and odd question posed. He was to return to his work, when he saw Gideon and Pacifica slip past Robert in the door way, and run over to him. "We got duct tape in case you wanted to gag him." _Why is he smiling like that? I guess I would be happy about tying up my enemy if he had winded me, but it's kinda creepy. _"Great work, are you guys gonna need help?" Gideon glanced at Pacifica, and his serial killer smile disappeared. "Nah, we can do it on our own." Dipper marked up the price on a _Mystery Shack snowballtm _before handing it to a customer who had asked for one.

"Okay, well can you guys get out of your disguises after tying him up, 'cus he's gonna get to wake up soon." They both nodded, and he noticed that Pacifica was avoiding his gaze. _What is wrong with everyone? _Sighing, he moved to the side, allowing them to pass, before joining a tourist next to the _"uniturtle foot"_ table and putting on his best sales-man voice. "What you are looking at my good sir, is one of the rarest objects on the planet. Have you heard, of the incredible uniturtle?" The man turned to him and Dipper practically jumped out of his skin.

"Agent Powers...what uh, what brings you by this fine establishment? Also…aren't you dead." The man's eyes narrowed, and he harrumphed. "As if…I wasn't about to get killed by some brain dead, undead brain eaters. Now, maybe you could explain, what you are doing here?" Dipper smiled and took a step backwards, "Whatever do you mean?" The agent removed his sunglasses from his pocket, and placed them on the bridge of his nose. "According to our files, your great uncle was killed when the last incarnation of this place burnt to the ground. So why aren't you and your sister back home in Piedmont?"

The young detective was going to reply, when he frowned. "How do you know-" "Please kid, I work for the _government_, we know everything about you." Dipper's eyes widened, "Isn't that illea-" "Answer the question, or would you prefer I ask your sister? Maybe we should call your parents?" Dipper held up his hands, "That won't be necessary, see it's uh, very simple, we're living with our other great uncle's brother, umm, Liam Syzfr." The stoic agent raised a skeptical eye brow, "Oh really? Your other uncle you say, well let me just check that." He removed a cellphone from his coat pocket, and pushed a few buttons on the screen, Dipper silently ushering Mabel away as she approached. He gave a smile of fake cheer as Powers glanced back down at him.

"Alright kid, your story checks out." _It does? What gives? _"But I'll be back soon, I've got more questions for you." He moved away, grumbling to himself as he dialed a contact, and held the phone to his mouth. "Yes sir, well the boy's mentioned his grandfather but-wait, what do you mean they found a-" Dipper didn't catch wind of that last statement, he was busy trying to sell the uniturtle's foot to Bud Gleeful, who had stopped by for some inexplicable reason.

"Your wife would _love it_! Not to mention it keeps lice awa-" He wasn't able to finish his sales pitch however, because he heard a screaming sound coming from the basement, and had to speed off, leaving his sister in charge of the shop.

In hindsight, it was not his best decision.

**-+=khoolvk^0^=+-**

Bud Gleeful exited the shop, and ran over to the blue sedan parked to the far right of the parking lot. Opening the driver's side door, he slid into his seat, and placed his hands on the wheel.

"So…what did you find out?"

Glancing over at his son, he spoke as the car pulled out. "Well apparently they have something…or someone…in the basement." Gideon glared out the window at the third iteration of The Mystery Shack, and plotting to himself in a low mutter. "Also, I got this neat uni-turtle hoof!" The white haired boy turned his glare on his father, "FATHER! You're supporting my adversaries!" The elated car salesman shushed his descendant, before defending his purchase.

"According to the little lady, your mother will LOVE IT!"

**-+=^0^wkdq=+-**

Dipper's eyes fluttered open, and he found himself lying in a king sized bed. The covers were the vivid blue of a dark sea, and a chandelier hung above, crystals infused with the reflective gold. The two pine sized windows which stood in front of the bed were covered by dark brown drapes, with a savannah pattern that it shared by the carpet as well.

Rolling over, Dipper placed a hand on his sister's barely revealed shoulder and smiled. "Wakey-wakey sleepyhead." She moaned and he rolled his eyes. "Oh, c'mon…it's already noon, and we've got work to do." She shuddered under his touch and he sensed that something was wrong. "M-Mabel? What is it?"

She shuddered again, and he jumped to his feet. His worried inquiries were silenced when he pulled aside the covers and saw a knife stabbed deep into his sister's exposed stomach. Her silk pajamas were stained by the blood, and her face was scrunched up in pain. Reaching over, the young magician slid the weapon, and tossed it to the floor, before bending his arms around her form, and groaning as he picked her up. He could feel his own clothes become stained by her blood and tears, and stroked her hair soothingly as he ran over to the oak door.

Upon finding that it was locked the twelve year old began to panic, and the golden light of the outside turning to red as the windows were broken by a strong gust of wind. His grip on the door knob worsened as he noticed is palm coated in blood. Then he heard a deep rumbling sound, and glanced down at the floor, just in time to see water explode forth, dousing the tween, and sending him flying back onto the bed. The body of his sister disappeared beneath the waves and he found the current pulling his vessel toward the broken windows. He could see the blood red sky, the sun eclipsing the moon, and staring down at the world with burning focus. He could see the world dying in flames.

Then the bed was pushed out the window, and he plummeted towards the ash below.

"WAKE UP!"

His eyes fluttered open, and Dipper raised his sagging head and stared up at his counterpart, silhouetted by the light from the world above. He held a dripping bucket, and glared down at the soggy doppelgänger, before gesturing for his friends (who waited at the top of the stairs, but could not be made out with his blurry vision) to leave.

He returned his gaze to his interrogator, and the door shut, leading the performer to believe that they were alone. Coughing up water, he tried to strike his stomach, and hurry the process, but found that his right arm was shackled to the wall, and he could barely touch his chest, let alone his stomach. Glancing to his left he saw that the same applied. He gave his nemesis a weak smile, before coughing out more water, and asking in a weak tone, "Surely this is a little bit much for little 'ol me?"

The investigator ignored him, pulling a chair out of the darkness and up close to the prisoner, before sitting down in the wooden frame, and glaring down at him. Now inches from his malevolent duplicate, reaching forward and gripping his chin, before raising his grimy and slightly blood caked head so that they stared eye to eye. "Where is the police car you stole?" Giggling, he tried to avoid the weaker boy's harsh gaze, but had his chin wrenched back into place. Sighing he answered the question with as much flippancy as he could muster under the circumstances. "I abandoned it."

His counterpart seemed shocked by this development, and the next thing he said confirmed that he had expected more of his opponent. "You were gonna like…use it to escape town or…run someone over or something?" The mangy Dipper rolled his eyes, "No. None of those are beneficiary to me. They are the stupid plans _you _would come up with. I had no need of it once I found the cave, so I left it in the woods somewhere."

Startled, his interrogator took a moment to figure out what to ask next. "Where is your sister? Her-her corpse I mean." Sighing, he tried to act patronizing regardless of the less than ideal circumstances. "Why does matter to you? She's dead…and nothing on heaven or earth can bring her back." He saw sympathy flash over eyes of his captor, and the pre-teen looked ready to speak.

Then he thought better of it. "Listen, just answer the question." Glancing down at his feet, the boy accessed some of his characteristic dishonesty. "I burnt her corpse. She had always wanted to be cremated…" He looked up into the darkness above, using actual memories of her to fuel the fib. The inferior model frowned, and Dipper wondered how hard it was to lie to oneself. With his vision fully adjusted, he noticed that his counterpart had finally grown a bit of a fashion sense. Gone were his trademark cap, vest and orange shirt. He now wore a suit, and his hair was slicked back.

"Nice suit." The boy glared down at him, and the warlock did his best to shrug. "What? Just because I'm evil I can't pay you a compliment?" The boy ignored him, and returned to pondering what to ask next. "Any more questions? Cause I was having the loveliest dream, and I imagine you have bigger things to worry about, than tying up some loose ends." Glancing down at him, his foe leaned forward. "What's Bill planning?" _What an idiot. _

He rolled his eyes over-dramatically. "If I knew…do you really think I would have been in a cave, eating _bats_?" The benevolent Dipper blushed slightly, but then glared back at him. "You must know something about it, you're like…a demon expert." Dipper sighed, and placed a finger on his emblazoned forehead. "There's a difference between a summoner and an expert. I imagine he's planning to burn the human race and take over."

The detective frowned, "Yeah but I mean…that's what his plan always has been. I want to know what he'll do next…" Giving a small chuckle the chain pre-teen snarled his response, his voice thick with resentment. "No, his plan thus far was to lure you into a false sense of security, to test the waters. Demons are thousands of years old, they don't create plans which can be defeated by a bunch of snot-nose miscreants." His counterpart leaned down, and Dipper resisted the urge to spit in his face or kick him between the legs. "What do you mean? Why would he-"

"You don't get it, do you? God, and you're the_ smart one!_" He looked up at the ceiling and was about to continue his mockery, when the insulted tween grabbed his collar roughly with one hand, and his ragged hair with the other. "Tell. Me. What. You. MEAN!" He slapped his forehead and caused the back of the psychic's head to bang against the stone wall. "OW! _You son of a-_" When he saw the rage in his enemy's face, his own anger diminished, and he smiled again. "I never took you…for the kind to rough a guy up."

Slightly ashamed of his temper, the unshackled boy stepped back, and placed his a hand on his face. "Could you…could you just drop the smug jerk act and tell me the _goddamn answer_." Sighing, he conceded. "He was practicing. He let you win, because he wanted to figure out your weaknesses…not to mention, with every battle he's set it up so everyone is in the positions that HE WANTS come the final battle. He's a dream demon, therefor he can see all of our thoughts, he knows how to get to us, how to manipulate people."

He paused for a moment, focusing on the grime covered squares of stone at his feet. "We're all doomed." He heard the stunned pre-teen attempt to argue, and smiled slightly when he thought better of it. _Maybe you aren't as stupid as I took you for, mouth-breather. _Glancing up he watched his mirror image ascend the stairs, the wheels clearly turning in the mind of his well-dressed counterpart. "Tell Red I said hello, Mouth-breather." His doppelgänger stopped, and a smirk crossed the face of the injured magician, before he lay back against the rock, and tried to return to sleep, his exhaustion and pain defeating his dread of nightmares to come.

**-+=wklv^0^=+-**

Mabel flipped the "OPEN" sign over, and slid to the ground, her back against the door. "Ah man, I'm soooo tired…forget dinner, I wanna crawl into bed." Wendy climbed over the counter, before she rolled her eyes humorously, and extended a hand. "C'mon girl, I know just what'll pep you up." Mabel could tell from the anxiety which had been apparent on the older girl's face all day, that Wendy needed this just as much. Grabbing her hand, the small brunette hoisted herself to her feet, and raised a cautionary eye brow. "Is it SmileDip?"

The ginger shook her head, "I figured since you and Dipper have been through so much, I would take you out dancing." The suited brunette's dark brown eyes widened, and she clapped her hands together. "YES! YES!" Giggling, Wendy told her to go get her normal clothes back on, and watched Mabel skip over to the staircase. "Dipper! Wendy's going to take us dancing!" The distraught pre-teen glanced up from the floorboards, meeting Mabel's before locking with Wendy's. _Yeesh. He really has been through the ringer. _He gave Mabel a reassuring smile, before watching her ascend the stairs, and turning back to the cashier girl.

Sucking it up, Wendy paced over to him, and rubbed the back of her neck. "So listen I…I'm sorry…about earlier…" Dipper blushed and raised a hand, "No…I'm sorry. I-I overreacted, and if I hadn't umm, taken your _perfectly reasonable _reaction the wrong way, then well…he wouldn't have almost gotten away." _Oh god, why does he have to be so nice about it? That almost makes it worse. _She bent down, and placed a hand on his shoulder, "No man that…that was not an ordinary response. I freaked out when I should have kept my cool, I let a twelve year old play me for a sucker." He frowned slightly and was about to speak when she raised a finger, "Yeah I know you don't like to be treated like a kid, and it makes me feel slightly better that it took a _genius _of a twelve year old to play me for a sucker." His cheeks turned pink and he smiled at the praise, "But I was the oldest one there, I still goofed major time. Now…you need to stop blaming yourself for other people's mistakes." She nudged his chin playfully and his cheeks pinkened. "Oh I uh…"

Ignoring the cuteness of his babbling, Wendy raised an eye brow. "Sooo…are we okay?" He relaxed and nodded, "Well then, you should break out your best shoes short-stuff, because I intend to dance all over you." The competitive nature of their relationship came into play and Dipper smiled confidently. "Oh _we'll see_." Smiling evilly, he ran up the stairs with a new spring in his step.

Wendy turned away from the splintery staircase with a lighthearted smile, and saw Pacifica and Gideon sitting on the counter, looking incredibly glum. The blonde was playing with her hair thoughtfully, and her companion had his chubby face in a book. He seemed to be reading with too much concentration to be actually acknowledging the words. She hadn't interacted with them too much, and to be honest, despite her seeing them nearly every day for the past two weeks, she barely knew them. "Ummm, hey guys?" They both glanced up, Pacifica looking surprised and Gideon thankful that someone had pulled him out of the awkward tedium.

"Do you two…uh, would you two be interested in going to a party?" Pacifica grew a smile, whereas

her well-groomed friend was less than enthusiastic. Pacifica clamed and sighed before asking in a low voice, "Do we have to put our disguises on?" Wendy bit her lip and was about to answer when the door opened and Robert stepped inside. "Hey bookworm!" The older teen glanced up from his "fascinating" literature, and Wendy stepped closer. "Is it okay if those two come to a party without their disguises on?" She jerked a thumb in the direction of the pleading Pacifica and stoic Gideon. The raven haired librarian glanced between his comrades and the attractive redhead. "Uh…sure…" She smiled, and lightly punched his shoulder, "I knew you could loosen up." Robert chuckled and scratched the back of his neck, his cheeks turning pink just from her touch. _God, he looks so cute when he's embarrassed. _Wendy turned to the two, but then thought better and returned her gaze to the bookworm.

"So uh, you can watch Di-the prisoner right?" His expression darkened from one of shyness to that of self-imposed duty, and he nodded affirmative. "Great! Now, you two have to promise to be careful at the party okay? We don't want anyone to figure out who you are…got it?" The animated Pacifica nodded and turned to her best friend, beginning to babble in her excitement.

At first the younger child had a bored expression on his face, social events clearly not really his "thing." But upon seeing how thrilled his crush was however, he adopted a smile, and Pacifica pulled him off in the direction of the bathroom, asking him to help with her make up.

Wendy rolled her eyes at the two, noting that for a brief moment, they had heavily resembled her own Dipper and Mabel. But that thought reminded her of the tween tied up downstairs, and her conversation with him. _What came over me? I mean…sure he said some pretty awful stuff…but why did I get angry enough to beat him up? _She knew that one doesn't escape torture, have nightmares about their best friends, and still remain the same. But she hoped to _god_, that she wasn't going to start taking her frustrations and trauma on others. _I may not be the picture of self-control but usually I'm fairly level headed about those kinds of things. _She recalled the feeling of holding him against the tree, the knowledge that she was strong enough to break the majority of all his bones if she wanted, had clung to the back of her mind.

It had been the biggest adrenaline rush that she had ever felt.

Unable to think these things over with Robert watching her suspiciously, the ginger brushed past him, and sat down on the front porch steps, hoping that some fresh air would help clear her head.

But feeling angry wasn't supposed to feel that good, the release of anger was supposed to feel good, that's why people listened to heavy metal. But lately she had been getting angry like that, violently angry, over a little things that would have hardly bothered her. Her little brother had really frustrated her a few days ago, and she had gone off on him, almost enjoying his cowering. But when she had seen his teary eyed expression the rage which felt so good had left, leaving only emptiness and regret. It had been a deep swelling rage, which drown her every time, only to pop her to the surface and watch as she floundered.

She didn't know what she might have done had Dipper not entered the clearing just in time to hear his double's insinuations. But she knew that there would have been blood regardless, and felt her skin crawl as grotesque images came to mind. Determined not to release her primal rage again, the teen took a deep breath and stood. _Some dancing should get rid of your stress. _She hoped that if she tired herself enough tonight, then her sleep would be devoid of nightmares. _The last thing I need is another one of those. That would just be the icing on the cake. _The creaky door opened and she turned, and smiled as Dipper exited. He was followed by a beaming Mabel, and an almost-as-beaming Pacifica, who had her hair up in a pony-tail. Gideon brought up the rear, and moved his gaze to the descending sun, tugging his baseball cap down to create a mask of shade.

Wendy stood and asked if they were all ready. There was a unanimous yes, and after confirming that they had left a note for Stan, the lanky teen began to lead the younger four in the direction of town.

**-+=^0^rqh?=+-**

_^Well, today certainly has been going well, now hasn't it?^ _Dipper glared up at the floating triangle, and growled. Then he realized the fruitlessness of such a gesture, and returned his gaze to the tile floor. _^Ah c'mon, stop actin' so down in the dumps, ConstellationHead.^ _He rolled his eyes at the nick name, and tried to lose himself in the pattern of the dust. He had always been an imaginative soul, not nearly as much as Mabel had been, but still creative enough to entertain himself with clouds, carpet patterns, and the cracks in fresh cut wood. It took his mind off his, and the world's, troubles.

_^Consider yourself lucky chump!^ _

His face twisted into a snarl, and he let go off logic, beginning to show his true loathing for the demon. "How…_in Hell_ am I…lucky?" His spit would have struck his tormentor, had the capitalistic cyclops' owned a physical form. "I-I am bruised, sleep deprived, locked up in some idiot's basement, and I've become the same kind of pathetic shit-head that I looked down upon not a month ago…" He glanced at his exposed feet, before turning back to Bill, who was looking rather bored. "So please explain…in what universe…I AM LUCKY!?" He thrashed forward, his restricted hands swiping through the triangle.

Ashamed at his own lack of control, Dipper stopped his futile attack, and sniffled as he stared back down at the floor, his only source of light a lightbulb which hung beside the staircase, and the neon yellow glow of the dream demon. _^Well if we're talking about universes then...yeah, it could be much worse for you. For instance you could be stuck with the government and the S.B.E. on your tail, stuck making decisions based on the words in your head.^ _Not questioning the demon's exchange of "words" for "voices" Dipper rejected the entire idea. "I don't even understand what that means…" The demon laughed, _^Of course you don't, ConstellationHead, you can't see into other dimensions like MOI! If you could, your puny little head would go **BOOM!** HAHAHA!^_

The performer sighed, trying to tune out the annoying laugh of his mocker, and let his arms hang above his head, like a marionette. "Please…just leave me alone…" He hated the weakness in his own voice, but was desperate for sleep, and the presence of his foe made feelings of guilt and self-resentment swell to greater sizes than usual. _^But where's the fun in that? HAHAHA! Oh boy, you don't get it! You're lucky *pfft* because at least you're not like your poor, unfortunate sister!^ _If the magician could kill with a look, and Bill could have been killed, then the dream demon would have keeled over on the spot. As it was, neither were true, so Bill continued to laugh.

"Death is a blessing I would embrace if I was not determined to acquire my vengeance and return my sister's life-force to this earthly plane." Bill cackled shrilly, and flew over to his right, poking his cheek with an ebony finger. _^I don't mean that wiseacre, what I mean…is at least you ain't vacationing, where her life-force is!^ _Tightness gripped his throat, "What do you mean?" He cursed his weakness upon finding his voice unsteady. The cycloptic demon turned out of view, and spoke in a lower voice, his usual flare replaced by cryptic meaning. _^Let's just say that the universe isn't exactly kind to the souls of little killing machines…^ _He began to fade out of this existence as Dipper woke up, and the tween scrambled to get answers out of him. "What do you mean? You're not saying she went to hell are you? There isn't a hell…that's not what your saying is it? ANSWER ME DAMN YOU!"

Bill giggled like a little girl, and uttered one last reply before disappearing. _^Don't worry about it, you'll know soon enough. YOUR GONNA BE JOINING YOUR SISTER SOON!^ _

There was a flash of light, and the young prisoner was alone once more. Letting the emptiness take over, his vision began to cloud with tears. Over-taken by the sorrow which surrounded him, he shuddered and sobbed against the cold stone wall that he was chained to, and he thanked the higher powers for his solitude.

**-+=Rougarou^0^is a word=+-**

**_I hope you enjoyed! I hope everything is too everyone's liking. The next chapter will be the final one which takes place on this particular day. I also hope that there aren't too many characters or sub-plots, it all links together, but as the title suggests, the story is supposed to be quite chaotic. All the characters will get time to shine, Dipper Gleeful, Mabel, Dipper, Gideon, and Pacifica are the most important, so tell me if it doesn't seem like we're seeing enough of them. See ya' next time! _**

**_AGKNOWLEDGEMENTS:_**

**-Grungkitty: **Damn it I was hoping the page breakers weren't going to be important. You can't copy text on FF anymore so if I want to decode them I either have to do it in my head one letter at a time or retype the entire thing.

(P.S. Love the story. On the edge of my seat. )

**_Thanks for the compliment! If it's too difficult drop a review saying so and I'll just put the codes at the bottom of every chapter!_**

**-The Keeper of Worlds: **Good new start :)

**_Thanks! Although I thought the first chapter _****_was a "new start"…._**


	4. Wonderful nights lead to woe

**4**

Robert threw the Wolfsbane onto the wooden boards, and watched the pentagram glow with blue light. Placing the hand mirror in the center of the symbol, and cut a circle into his palm with a jagged piece of glass, removed from the fractured mirror. Watching his blood stain the pile, he dropped the bloody sliver into the center and stepped backwards, before beginning to speak the Latin incantation fluently. _"Tenebris mundi ad ostium aperire redegit." _He stepped back as a pillar of red light extended out of the shape, and struck the ceiling. The fissuring energy destroyed the herbs with a greedy quality, and it moved dangerously close to the cautious teen. The whole building rattled and he was forced to place a hand against the wall for support, and use the other hand to shield his eyes from the blinding light.

There was a flash of light and the red energy turned green, before filling the whole room as a thick cloud. Robert coughed and waved a hand back and forth, clearing the slowly dissipating cloud with a rapid movements. He spotted the portal which his efforts had produced, and smiled triumphantly. His pupils dilated and the smile turned to one of euphoric peace, he crept forward and found himself mesmerized by the glowing aura.

Pressing a hesitant hand against the orb, a light buzz ran up his arm and left a warm feeling in his brain, as his finger intruded on the portal. He didn't know how long he spent staring at the deep emerald light, but when he was finally roused from the half-sleep, it still took a moment for his normally quick mind to discern which words were supposed to be spoken at this point. Then the sluggishness wore off, like the morning after his first attempt at drinking, where the pain in his head had been splitting, and every thought hurt until it finally wore off and his regular pace returned like a rocket returning from the moon.

_"Da mihi clavem, et mirabilia tua narrabunt obvius ut semper et in perpetuum _(Now give me the key, so that I may access your wonders always and forever)_." _The orb glowed harder, and sparks began to spray out of its bottom, causing the librarian to leap back and watch as the unstable power forced the requested object out. Finally, a glass key was fired out of the ball and he jumped so that the precious object did not strike the splintery boards and shatter. Exhaling in relief, he stepped over to the ball of power, and stabbed the key into portal, twisting it just as quickly. The orb transformed into an obsidian door, which opened and revealed an emerald glass palace.

Licking his lips, Robert took it upon himself to investigate the pocket dimension, just in case there was anything wrong with it. He briefly considered chucking the Gleeful kid in there, but didn't trust his low muscle toned form to keep the rabid prisoner from escaping. He was also far too anxious to think these things too. That same buzz as before crossed over him, and the door shut closed behind him. His light brown eyes scanned the room, and he found himself near blinded by the fractured light. A tall staircase led up to a sea of rooms, and if Robert's research was correct, than there were anywhere from fifty to three hundred rooms, each room filled with the luxuries of a small mansion, and hardly any smaller.

_"HELLO sir, WELCOME." _Startled, he swiveled on the spot, and found Wendy standing behind him. Not the apathetic goth of his world, but the fiery soul of this one, the one who was funny and smart, who could face demons without blinking. _And those eyes, her eyes are so much brighter, so much deeper. Like the rarest gems on the planet. _She look positively stunning in the sparkling green dress, with a golden bracelet, a sapphire necklace, and green lipstick. Her purple eyeshadow and primed eye lashes brought out the fire and unrest in her deep green eyes, leaving him speechless. With her hair shortened to half its regular length, in a way that he found made her look twice as beautiful, and caused his heart to flutter tenderly.

"W-Wendy…w-why are you here?" She smiled in a contented fashion and she stepped closer, extending a hand. _"Would you like me to hold the key for you?" _Robert raised an eyebrow, and was about to ask why/how she was here, when his memory was given a jolt. A particular passage burst to the surface, and he relaxed as the truth hit him.

_"The inventor of the mirror world ritual, created it so that he could have complete solitude as he worked. He wanted it to stimulate his actual mansion though, so changed the ritual to summon a hard-light servant, who would appear as the person he subconsciously wanted to be around most. It is suggested that he used this trick to preform sexual acts with the hologram." _

Gulping, he shook his head. "I-I'll hold the key thank you very much…" She nodded lightly before asking if he needed a guide. "Just umm, select three rooms…" On second thought they might need a room to lock Gleeful up in. "Actually, select the nearest _four_ rooms, and label them "Gideon, Robert, Pacifica, and Dipper" okay?" The duplicate of his crush nodded again, and disintegrated, her particles whizzing off to do as commanded. Robert felt a small emptiness inside now that she was gone, but tried to push any hormone driven thoughts from his mind. He was moving towards the stairs, when she appeared in front of him again, so close this time, that her face was inches from her. The innocent look which she gave the teen damaged his resolve even farther, and if he didn't know better he would have accused the magic of attempting to seduce him.

He did know better however, and the logical part of his brain (which was by now growing quite silent) told him that she was only acting this way BECAUSE he wanted her to be acting this way. It was like his subconscious had designed his paradise, exactly what he really wanted, and his self-imposed duty and overruling conscious decreed that the paradise was unneeded, a waste of time, something that he had "too much self-control to fall victim to." He grew angry as his frustration grew, partly at his parents for taking part in orgies and visiting drugs dens. It was there recklessness that had transformed him into the man he was, having been forced to make his own meals at a young age, and impose an iron moral code for himself to follow. But Robert Valentino had never been a particularly big fan of himself, and his self-resentment levels grew considerably that day, as he also blamed the overzealously methodical part of his brain for transforming what should have been heaven into a viciously tempting hell.

This was proven farther, when the illusion stepped close enough for her nose to brush against his. _Oh god that feels like real flesh. The magic…it must affect your senses, trick your nervous system. _And then she spoke in that same incredibly innocent tone, the one that had sent shivers up his spine. When his brain finally registered her words, he grabbed her and pushed his lips slightly against hers, finding that she tasted and smelled better than he (ironically enough) could have imagined.

_"Is there anything else that I can…attend to, Master?"_

**-+=^0^=+-**

Dipper was having the time of his life.

He usually wasn't a "party" person, but right now he needed to let out all his stress, and just enjoy something. And the bright lights, bland music, and loud atmosphere provided that. And it didn't hurt that Wendy Corduroy was dancing with him. He knew that he never had a chance with her, and right now they were just dancing as friends. But that didn't mean he couldn't enjoy her smell and how amazing she looked when she was sweaty, right? And it wasn't like it was just them, Mabel was nearby, dancing across the floor in a way that was ridiculous, endearing, and yet still quite impressive if you thought about the physical applications.

He didn't know where Pacifica and Gideon were, but they were the furthest thing from his mind. Right now he was just trying to enjoy himself, and remove any thought of his duplicate's warning from his mind. And he had come to the right place. He wasn't the world's best dancer, his sister had often given playfully mocked his foot coordination, but with the music blasting loud enough to be heard across town, he had found himself immersed in the rhythm. Combine this with Wendy's contagious energy, and the pre-teen ended up twirling and pivoting with wild abandon, and relishing every moment.

He kept glancing over at his dancing partner, and noticing that her eyes seemed more and more vibrant than he had remembered. He was so transfixed by the glow of the emerald irises, that when she spoke to him he was roused and had to ask for her to repeat herself. "I said; great party, huh?" Nodding vigorously, his smile widened when she giggled at his enthusiasm. "It's not that good you big nerd." He rolled his eyes at her nick names, and was about to reply with "says the girl who was dancing like there's no tomorrow!" when he spotted a horribly familiar face in the crowd who milled about below the dance area.

Wendy slowed in her movements upon seeing his face go pale, "What's the matter?" He watched her glance at the spot he was staring at, where his long forgotten foe had been moments before. "Dipper…you look like you saw a ghost." She knew from personal experience, like him, just how disturbing those could be and the light faded from her eyes as he forced smile and told her that he must have seen someone he thought he knew, and was now going to go get them some punch.

The redhead was not so easily convinced however, and stuck out an arm to stop him. "Dipper…c'mon, what's wrong?" He gave her another nervous smile, and glanced back at the crowd, before addressing her. "Nothing, I swear." She looked highly skeptical and he realized he would have to reveal something, "Okay it was probably nothing…I just…I don't want to ruin your night in case it was nothing…so could you wait here while I just go check something?" He looked up at her pleadingly, and she relented. "Fine…but just…" She bit her lip and he felt warm inside to know how much she cared about his wellbeing, "Just don't take too long okay?" He nodded dutifully, smiling at the knowledge that she trusted him so much as he ran into the crowd, and disappeared behind a wall of gyrating teenagers.

**-+=^0^=+-**

Pacifica was utterly miserable.

Not only did she not know literally _anyone _here, but people kept approaching her and confusing her for this world's version of her. Who, it turned out, was also at the party (thanks Wendy, your foresight is astounding!), and the blonde had to keep ducking out of sight when the party girl passed by or glanced in the direction of the couch she was moping on.

That would have been bad enough, but worse yet, Dipper was dancing with Wendy. And every time a song ended and she thought she might have a chance to dance with him, they continued to dance to the next one. It was partly her fault for not being courageous enough to walk up and ask him in front of the cashier girl. But she couldn't help but blame the teen for monopolizing Dipper's time. Finally, he left the stage and she hoped off the couch, running after her crush and weaving through the crowd. Just when she thought she had lost him, she slammed into someone and spilled her punch all over the girl's shirt. "Oh I…I am so sorry." Dropping her useless cup into a nearby garbage can, she grabbed some napkins and ran back over to the unfortunate girl.

Only to stop dead in her tracks when she saw that it was her counterpart. The blonde was examining her shirt and muttering something to herself. _Okay, just calm down and make sure she doesn't see your face. _Stepping over to the crouching girl she extended a fist of paper naperies. "Thanks…" grabbing the napkins she began staunching the splotch. Paz extended a hand to help her doppelgänger up, keeping her face from sight by staring in the opposite direction.

Which happened to be where Gideon was, pushed against the wall, he cowered beneath the gazes of two fairly drunk teens. _That can't be good. _They were both yelling at him, and one of them looked about ready to pummel the living daylights out of him. The other blonde gripped her hand, and had just gotten to her feet and was about to ask why she was so familiar looking and why she was keeping her head turned away, when Pacifica dashed off in the direction of her best friend.

**-+=^0^=+-**

"Did you think we had forgotten what how you lied to us? Give me one reason why I shouldn't find a good garbage can outside and dump you in there?" The boy who held his collar asked these questions as he shook the boy, and had a fist at the ready. The nine year old chocked, and tried to continue the charade in his most reasonable tone. "I…I'm not who you think I am, I swear!" The other teen chimed in, "How stupid do you think we are? How many ten year old's with white hair do you think there are in this town?" Gideon licked his lips and raised a finger, "Actually, I'm ni-"

"WE DON'T CARE!" The one holding him slammed his fist down on the wall beside him, and Gideon began to sweat obscenely as he realized that not only would no one hear him if he screamed for help, but the majority of party residents wouldn't care. _Why do alternate versions of you always have to be jerks that make everyone in that dimension hate you? _"HEY! Leave him alone!" Gideon glanced in the direction of the voice that he was more accustomed to than that of his father's, and he sighed in relief. "Get outta here blondie, we're in the middle of dishing out some justice!" _I can't believe that they think what they're doing is justice. _

Pacifica placed her hands on her hips at the name "blondie" and stepped closer, glowering at the teen who was holding him. "Listen _buddy_, I've fought triangles and twelve year old's, more intimidating than you'd ever be if you set out to make it your life goal! So put him down before this gets _ugly_!" Both drunken frats snickered, and Gideon glanced between them and Pacifica. "Paz, go! I'll be fine!" She shook her head and stepped closer to the delinquents. "I'm giving you until the count of three to drop him…ONE." She raised a finger and they laughed even harder, the friend nearly falling over in hysterics. "TWO."

The one holding him tightened his grip, and the inquisitive child found it quite hard to breath. "Oh no Kurt, she's gonna scold us, whatever shall we do?" He smirked as his companion giggled like an idiot. _It's people like this which make me understand Gleeful's views of humanity. _Pacifica turned to Gideon and gave a nod. The boy kicked his assaulter in the chest, and as the teen stumbled back, he fell to the ground and dashed towards the exit. Pacifica hit the kicked the friend between the legs, before speeding off after her companion. "That's three fopdoodles!" She grabbed an unsuspecting Mabel by the arm ("Hey have you guys seen Dipper or Wen-UH!"), before sprinting towards the exit.

Mabel desperately began asking for an explanation, but all that Pacifica managed to get out was "Bullies, Gid in danger, no time to explain, run faster! I know you're little Peggy Fleming legs can move faster than that Mabel." The teenagers were closing in with their long legs and physical aptitude, screaming obscenities at their victims. Gideon held the door open and ushered them forward, standing beside the door way until they had passed. Then he slammed the door close and he sprinted into the night.

Pacifica heard the door whip open, but by the time that their pursuers had exited the party the three were almost two blocks away and headed towards the Shack.

**-+=^0^=+-**

Wendy peeked around the corner of the dumpster, watching as Dipper spoke to his younger nemesis. Unwillingly to make the boy feel that she didn't trust him, she had promised herself not to intervene unless absolutely necessary. Right now it didn't seem like Gideon was going to do anything drastic, or even throw a few passive aggressive threats out. Instead he continued to mock his opponent in the same whiny drawl that grated on her nerves, and made her respect Dipper's self-control level. "Just answer the question; why are you here?"

Grinning naively, Gideon replied in the most innocent tone that he could muster. "Why I don't know what you mean, _friend_. I merely came here to enjoy some contemporary music…" Dipper's stepped closer to the well-dressed child, and his face tightened. "You mean to tell me that, that of all the places you could have gone, you chose this one. And me and MABEL, just _happened _to be here?" The white haired boy giggled, "Why…I got into town earlier today. I had no time to follow you! Why so paranoid Dipper?" Despite his friendly manner, he said his enemies name like a priest denouncing a sin. The pre-teen investigator remained silent, and Gideon took the opportunity to step closer, now a tad taller than he had been when sent to Juvie, his growth spurt allowed him to almost look face to with his enemy and not have to stand on the tips of his toes.

"Is something the matta? Cause as a _reformed _individual, I'd be willing to help you with any trouble. Help you with any…problems." He moved his gaze and grinned, sending a mental jolt through Wendy as she realized that it was her he had turned his attention to. The ginger moved her head back behind the dumpster, just in time to avoid Dipper spotting her. "You couldn't pay me to give you information Gideon." The boy tittered, before turning away, "I keep telling ya' friend, I'm a changed man. I have seen the error of my ways, and I want to apologize for my earlier actions, I really wasn't right in the head at the time." Dipper scoffed, "You're still wrong in the head!"

Gideon turned back to him, "Dipper, I know that you've come to forgive Miss Northwest for her actions, why can't you forgive mine?" Dipper licked his lips and stared straight ahead, "She always had that goodness inside her, and she just hadn't used it. You…you never had that goodness, and you're never going to let it out. People don't change Gideon…and neither have you." He turned away from the psychopath and heard a dark chuckle. "If people don't change…does that mean you're still as weak and reckless as I remember?" Dipper stopped in place, and Wendy could hear his heavy breath demonstrating his breaking tolerance.

Turning around, he stuck a finger into the chest of his opponent, "Now listen hear, _friend._" Gideon stumbled backwards unprepared for this act of retaliation. "I know that you're gonna come up with some plan and there's nothing I can do to prevent it at the moment. But don't forget who defeated you time and again, and don't forget that while you've been away, me and Mabel have gotten stronger, quicker and smarter. We've also made a few more. So just keep in mind, that next time you pull a stunt like last time…" His eyes narrowed piercingly and Wendy was shocked by the bitterness in his voice.

"We won't hesitate, to _end you_." Gideon's eyes widened as he spotted something fiery, growing in the abyss of Dipper's pupils. Turning away with a glare, Dipper stalked back towards the side exit as Wendy began to panic. She had planned on sneaking back inside towards the end of their exchange, but lost track of time. She froze when Dipper rounded the corner of the dumpster and saw her on all fours, trying to crawl back inside. He give her a pensive glare, and she spotted the fire that Gideon had, before watching him pace to the door and speak in a tone thick with frustration and disappointment. "C'mon Wendy, we need to find the other's." He opened the door and she scrambled to her feet, glancing in Gideon's direction, and fixed a glare on him as he giggled at her predicament. "Nice allies you got Pines, a bunch of untrustworthy animals!" Wendy had to stop herself from swinging around and landing a haymaker to her friend's mocker, instead she stepped towards Dipper but was interrupted by the pre-teen. "This was a stupid idea anyway, I have research to do."

He let the door shut with a dull thud and she raced after him, the former psychic's laughter almost blocked out by thunder.

**-+=^0^=+-**

"It looks like it's going to rain…" The white haired boy stared up at the sky as he made this observation, while Paz kept her vision focused on the ground in front of her, as Mabel chatted up a storm beside her. Gideon felt a raindrop tickle the back of his neck, and glanced up to see the drizzle that he had predicted begin.

Mabel extended a hand to feel the water splash against it, and as it began to pour she sung over the sound of rumbling thunder. "RAIN, RAIN, GO AWAY! COME AGAIN SOME OTHER DAY!" Gideon placed his hands over his ears and cringed. "Could you maybe be a little quieter?" Mabel giggled at the look on his face, and began skipping after the blonde who had begun to speed walk. Her arms swinging back and forth in the air as she reached the blonde and she spoke in way that was neither smug nor condescending, but sounded more like friendly mocking. "You know that running in the rain will get you just as wet right?"

Pacifica glanced over at the cheery brunette and her pace slowed. Mabel elaborated with a smile, and Gideon had to scurry across the growing muck to reach his companions on the lonely dirt road. Mabel began to regale how she and her brother had once run to school in the rain, and learned later on that day that running in the rain was not superior to walking in the rain. "If you could see the look on his face…" she giggled at just the thought, and her comrades smiled as well as their active imagination took hold.

His sensitive ears noticed the dull roar sound from behind them and Gideon swiveled see headlights charging towards them. His friends turned around as the sound intensified, and became petrified like a deer crossing the highway. Gideon clasped their hands, and wrenched them off the road and stumbling into the inky forest. The white limosiun didn't slow down in the least, speeding away like the angel of death was behind it. Mabel spat out some grass and stumbled to her feet. "What is wrong with some people?" Pacifica spoke as she brushed grass off her blue sweater. Gideon shrugged and pulled a thorn out of his ankle, inspecting his socks for any others as he gave a reply. "Probably a jerk who has somewhere to be…"

**-+=^0^=+-**

The world was blur as Dipper sprinted through the nightmarish woods, his face covered in sweat, and everywhere he looked he saw blood red eyes peering at him out of the oaks. His pants were torn from his frequent invasion of thistles, and the searing abrasions cross his shins hurt almost as much as his burning lungs and bleeding ankles.

Tripping on a log, he went flying forward, and rolled across the forest floor. His head struck a rough stone and he moaned in pain as he forced himself to his feet. Panic rushed into him as he realized that his pursuer would be here soon, and he ducked to the right. His arms began to swing like windmills as he stumbled downhill, and crashed to the ground in a heap. _GET UP YOU WEAKLING! GET UP! WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE CHOPPED LIVER?! _Despite the instance of his overbearing mind, the performer found that he was far too exhausted to move, and told the first voice that it could go to hell.

Then a hand touched his back, and he scrambled to his feet, ready to run until he saw the person responsible for tapping his shoulder blade. A tiny girl stood before him, garbed in a bright yellow dress. Sunshine cascaded through the canopy and highlighted her as she watched him open and close his mouth like a fish, and dug a shifting sneaker into the muck. She gave him a shy smile and giggled at the look on his face, before placing a hand on his heart and speaking. "Didn't you hear me?" She raised an eyebrow but kept smiling when all he could do was shake his hand. "Tag you're it!" Her voice was so light and sing song that if he had to guess, he never would have connected it to his sister. He tried to stutter out a question but she just giggled, blushing on his behalf, before running off into the woods.

Dipper was about to follow her, using whatever strength that remained in his throbbing legs, when he heard dark giggling fill the world ominously. He glanced around and tried to find the source of the mocking sound. Moving his attention back to the grove which the younger version of his sister had entered, Dipper took a step closer and spoke in a wary tone, hoping that his sister would return and protect him from the darkening skies and sinister watcher. "Mabel…" A blast of water exploded forth from the ground in geyser form, and Dipper felt his stomach bang against his heart as he flew into the air and plummeted sickeningly.

The water closed around him in the form of a hand and dragged him into the darkness below.

"Wake up you idiot, I don't have all day!" Dipper's eyes fluttered open, and met with the steely grey of his enemy. But the boy was dressed in a suit, had an amulet suspiciously similar to the one's he and Mabel had once possessed. Not to mention that his cheeks were also chubbier, and he was maybe half an inch shorter then he should have been. _It's this world's version of the little pig, the one that my counterpart wrote about. _Dipper had done extensive research about this world, and notes, newspaper articles, and diary entries from the dull-headed Mabel of this world, had informed him greatly about Gideon Gleeful.

Coughing, he watched the younger boy toss the bucket aside and spoke as the nine year old crouched and began swing on the chains with a diamond encrusted file. "Why does everyone keep dumping water on me?" Gideon rolled his eyes, and Dipper watched him focus his attention on the destruction of the warlock's shackles. "Okay porky, what do you want from me?" His southern liberator stopped and his piercing grey eyes met with fiery brown ones. "I don't know who you are, but I know that Dipper Pines thinks you're dangerous and I would like to purpose an alliance."

Dipper smiled, "Can you supply me with two amulets like yours?" The boy nodded, "As well as a large number of herbs, my own tent, and as many books as I need?" The younger villain bit his lip, "How do I know that you're not trying to play me?" Dipper stood, the chain that Gideon had been sawing at breaking as he spoke. "Because Dipper Pines doesn't just _think _I'm dangerous, I AM dangerous." Using his newly freed hand, Dipper pulled back the sleeve of his rotting silk shirt, revealing a massive crisscross of scar tissue. The thin black lines marred the pale skin, and created a pentagram with an eye in the center.

Gideon stumbled backwards upon seeing the mark, and licked his lips. "I tell you what…you prove yourself to me…and I'll give you anything you need." Stepping closer he elaborated and stuck out his left hand shakily, "And when you're done with whatever it is your working on, you gotta help me rule this town. Understood?" Glancing at the well creamed hand, the prisoner extended his own cautiously, and shook. The younger boy returned to sawing on the chains, and upon his instance, the murderous pre-teen began explaining where he had come from and why he looked like Dipper Pines.

When all the chains had finally been reduced to a pile of links, Dipper asked how the younger boy had entered without setting off any alarms. Gideon gave him a confident smile, before begin his ascent of the stairs. "I climbed in through the ventilation system from a grate outside." He declined to explain how he had located the boy in the first place, and simply left the older boy in the darkness as he climbed the last of the stairs, leaving Dipper to sigh and rush after him.

Gideon told him to stay in the kitchen while he attended to something, and Dipper reluctantly agreed, glancing around the stodgy room in his employer's absence. After checking all the drawers and selecting the perfect knife, he found himself quite bored. Glancing at the fridge, his stomach ached in pain, and he closed a hand around the handle. Whipping the great white door open, the morbidly skinny boy removed everything that was edible and stuffed it down his throat.

He tore open the package of string cheese, dumping the contents into his mouth. He ate a cold plate of spaghetti and finished the shriveled grapes. He poured dry cereal into his mouth, and dunked milk into his maw as he crunched down on the frosted flakes and Cheerios. He ate an onion despite his hatred of the wretched vegetable, and his eyes teared up as his stripped a piece of lettuce and began munching on it like a rabbit.

His hunger finally sated, the boy shook up a can of BuzzCola and popped it, laughing as the soda sprayed across his face and into his throat, long sore from lack of speaking and liquid. _No more rainwater tonight! _He grabbed another can and shook it even harder, popping it before shoving the majority of the can into his mouth and sucking on it like a baby's milk bottle, as the caffeinated drink filled his mouth and mixed with the food that was stuck between his teeth. His indulgence was interrupted when he heard the front door open, and panic rushed through his veins. Deciding that the back door was the best exit, he sprinted throughout the house/shop, only to find that his memory was not as impressive as expected, and that he had forgotten the lay out of the house.

Cursing beneath his breath, he heard voices coming from the kitchen, and zoomed away from the staircase, and towards the front door, expecting it to be unguarded.

**-+=^0^=+-**

Gideon dropped the last of the dust in front of the old man's nostrils, and watched the man who had once been a business rival inhale the golden dust in his sleep. Turing to the triangular form on the carpet, he spoke in a raspy whisper. "Are you happy now?" The lack of response caused Gideon to sweat vehemently and he stumbled toward the entrance to the bedroom, his arms scratching the darkness as he searched for the door knob. If there was one thing that he knew, it was that you should never end up owing a demon a debt. _But I fulfilled my end of the bargain. Bill showed me how to get in, and what the combination to the "snack machine" was, and in return I made Stanford inhale the dust._

Smiling in an edgy manner, he opened the door with a shaky hand. _Bill can't touch me, I'm fine…I'm fine. _He opened the door and his vision struck the blonde who was standing at the end of the hall. She turned her head and nearly jumped out of her skin upon spotting him. With no other choice, he placed a hand over his amulet and watched her fly backwards, slamming into the wall and attracting the attention of the girl's companion. Ducking to the side, he crossed the darkened hall, and slammed into someone rushing down the stairs. The teen shook himself and called after the nine year old as he turned and sprinted towards the back door. Bursting outside, he slid downhill and yelled for his dad to get the car ready. _I am not going back to Juvie, never again. NEVER. _The very idea sent chills down his spine, and he realized that he was squeezing his totem painfully and let go, swinging his hand back and forth in the moist air to relive the pain. He climbed inside and told his father to drive around to the front, where his "associate" would most likely be.

When the limo finally reached the front, he was amazed by what he saw.

**-+=^0^=+-**

Mabel glared into the darkness outside, swearing that she could have seen movement in the woods just outside. _You're tired, you need to lie down and get a good's night sleep. _Smiling, she yawned and turned away from the doorway, looking forward to calling her pig to her.

Then the insane version of her brother slammed into her, the screen door opened as her back struck it, and she cried out as her back slammed against the hard boards of the front porch. Now on top of her, the boy grew a rabid look and removed a knife. Just as she was about to scream, he tore off part of his rotting costume and stuck it into her mouth, smiling as she failed to spit out the filthy and metallic tasting rag. With her arms pinned above by his skinny yet muscular physique, she was helpless to stop him from placing his blade right above the most exposed and important part of her neck.

_Oh god, oh god, oh god, someone please come check on me. Oh god…_He giggled at her distress, and she tried to knee him in his most vulnerable part of his body. He giggled harder and avoided easily, before pinning her legs with his. "I'm gonna enjoy this, you don't know how long I've waited to cut you to ribbons…" The panicking twelve year old continued her useless movements, her captor finding that her futile attempts quite amusing. _At least when he's laughing like a psycho he isn't KILLING me. _She bucked against him and he laughed harder, almost hard enough to be heard from inside The Shack.

"So eager? Well then, never let it be said I didn't do as a lady requested!" He raised the blade and was about to bring it down, when she gave him one last pleading look, a move which she only believed would buy her time. But something flashed across his brightly mad eyes, and he lowered the weapon. For a moment he almost looked like the brother she knew and loved, remorse seeping real emotion into his face, not never-ending mad glee or soul burying hatred. Then he shook himself and grew angry when he saw the hint of pity in her eyes.

Pushing his face an inch from her ear, he spoke in a harsh whisper. "The only reason I'm not _killing _you right now, is because your boyfriend broke me out, and he might terminate our deal if I were to maim or murder you." Pulling away, he stared at her angrily. "Do you understand?" She tried to give an affirmative, but it was stifled easily by the gag. "NO! NOD! Nod you stupid cunt! Just f***ing nod if you understand!" She nodded hard enough for her head to almost fall off, and he relaxed slightly. Looking her up and down, he smiled before removing her gag and bringing his frightening grin close to her ear once more.

He spoke through his teeth, his voice sending shivers up and down her spine. "Don't forget…never forget what I'm going to do to you, girly girl. Once Detective Mouthbreather, Old man gawks, and your slimy little bag of ragamuffins are out of the way, Little Giddy will fall before me and my sister, and then you're gonna be all _OURS._" He smiled at the thought, almost as though he was reassuring himself. Then he frowned, and stood, rushing off into the parking lot. The nearly crushed brunette sat up, and took a few relived breaths before stumbling to her feet.

The last thing she saw out of the corner of her eye, before touching the knob and flying backwards, was the giant black-furred creature which slammed into her attacker and roared ferociously.

**-+=^0^=+-**

_(In Reverse falls)_

The TV shut off, and Stanley blinked rapidly. His ears unclogged and the first noise he heard was soft and comforting.

"Run away, your free now!"

The insistence was light, yet commanding, and the former prisoner turned and saw a man with glowing blue eyes and slivers of pupils staring up at him. "F-Fi-Fid-" The man hushed him, "You won't be able to speak properly for a while, but that's not important..." He glanced down the hall, before growing a worried face. "Right now Stanley...you need to _run_." Nodding the old man stumbled to his feet and was guided down the hall, and to the door. His liberator opened the door for him, and gestured for him to exit.

"Th-th-thank...th-thank you." The azure eyed man nodded, and shoved him outside, closing the door behind him as someone began ascending the basement stairs.

**-+=^0^=+-**

Gideon leapt out of the limo, and watched in as the coal-black werewolf swiped Dipper brutally, and sent him crashing into a nearby bush. The pre-teen recovered quickly and leapt out of the way, flinging a knife into the leg of the snarling beast as some kind of explosion went off in front of the Shack. _Oh god, why does everything have to go wrong? _Another swipe slashed across his front, shredding what was left of the rotting tatters and forcing a heave out of the injured tween as he skidded across the gravel.

Placing a hand on his amulet, a teal aura surrounding his hand as raised his new-found ally into the air before racing back inside the safety of his ride, the unconscious and blood stained magician levitating in behind him. "STEP ON IT PA!" His father was more than happy to do as instructed, and Gideon's stomach lurched as the limo sped forward and screeched to avoid a haymaker blow. The unconscious Dipper Pines fell on top of the white haired rogue as the limousine hurtled forward, and Gideon used his amulet to remove it, refusing to touch the dirty, bloody, and exposed body.

Despite the surprise and random attack, his plans were still intact. He still had his ticket to the big leagues, and once the elder villain was patched up, the two of them were going to own this town.

**-+=^0^=+-**

_(In Reverse falls)_

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO?" Stan closed his hands around Fiddleford's neck, and he raised the scrawny man into the air. His opponent simply laughed and his eyes flashed with blue energy. "What's the matter Stanford? Haven't you heard the old saying?" The boxer through him into the kitchen, causing pots and pans to clatter to the floor. Stan rushed into the room, refusing to let the little rat crawl away.

He found Fiddleford lying in a heap, and speaking despite his busted lip and bruised noggin. "If you love something...let it go." The enraged senior kicked his former business partner in the stomach. "We had a deal Fiddleford, you broke it..." He picked up the disoriented fool again and slammed him into the wall. "...and now you have to pay up." A tooth fell forth from his mouth as he giggled and the possessed man grabbed a steak knife off the counter, "If anyone is gonna pay Ford," stabbing it into his attacker's shoulder. "IT'S GONNA BE YOU!" He kicked the brute backwards, and fell to his feet as his adversary screeched in pain, and tore out the knife.

_There's only one person who calls me Ford. _Hissing in pain, Stan charged as Bill launched a pan at him, and stuck his abdomen. "BILL YOU SONOFA-" A moldy skillet struck him in the forehead and the dream demon launched into a new set of side-splitting laughter. "Really Ford, I warned you that you could keep things this way forever. Revolution always comes!" Stan stumbled to his feet, and Bill jumped to the side as he swiped at him. "By the way, the name isn't Bill, it's Will. People are gonna need to start calling me that or things are gonna get complicated." Stan winded the smug demon with a bone-cracking punch, and he stabbed the knife into his stomach. "Burn in hell Bill..." The blue in the man's eyes faded away, and a voice echoed through the room. _#Where do you think I come from, oh fluent one?#_

**-+=ATBASH^0^CIPHER=+-**

_Dzgxs gvvm gfim rmgl z nlmhgvi. Dzgxs gsv ullo gib gl hzev srh hrhgvi. Dzgxs lmv-vbv kfoo gsv hdrgxs, zmw uib fh zoo._

**_Sorry it took so long, there were complications. The next chapter will be out fairly soon, but may be slightly shorter than the others._**

**ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: **

**grungkitty: **Oh yeah let the kid that looks like a wanted criminal go to a public party without a disguise. Sure Wendy, great idea there. I'm positive nothing is going to go horrendously wrong and everything will go smooth as finished wood.

There is no war in Ba Sing Se.

If you can just send me the ciphered text in a pm then I can uncode out all myself easily. Ty

Keep up the story! :)

_**Nothing wrong with it at all...just like there is no war in Gravity Falls. If fact *removes amnesia gun from pocket* there is no Bill Cipher or S. B. E.**_

**The Keeper of Worlds: **And all the evils converge to this. Now, where will the last card fall?

**_On yo' mama!_**


	5. Not a very good morning

_"In this life we lead, we could conquer everything, _

_If we could just get the braves to get out of bed in the morning." ~ Andrew Jackson Jihad, "Brave as a Noun"_

* * *

**5**

**-+=^0^=+-**

_(In Reverse Falls)_

Wendy peddled leisurely, finding the cool after-rain air quite pleasurable. She always took her bike to work because it traversed the gravel path with ease, the city buses were disgusting, and she enjoyed the feel of cold air rushing through her short hair.

Her routine was shattered however, when an old man stumbled out of the forest and stared at her like a deer in the headlights. The goth screeched to halt and waited for him to move. He did not.

"Dude, I need to get to work…" He met her stare with his ancient brown eyes (why were those _so _goddamn familiar?) and she spotted the blood that ran down his forehead. "Dude are you…are you okay?" He glanced over his shoulder like a hunted fox, before stumbling forward, tripping on a rock and collapsing on the ground. Wendy rushed forward and helped him up, heaving as best she could and informing him that dragging his feet was not helping as sarcastically as one can in such a situation.

Finally getting him to his feet, she balanced the old man and the bicycle on either side as she hobbled towards the Mystery Zone.

**-+=^0^=+-**

Mabel's eyes fluttered open, and the first thing she saw was the blinding light filtered in through the window. It highlighted detris and revealed the rest of her bed. Sitting up, the second thing she saw jumped on top of her and pulled her into a near pulverizing hug. "Oh thank goodness you're okay, I was so worried…" Dipper pulled away slightly after uttering this and in the brief moment before he hugged her again she noted that his eyes had deep bags underneath, and his skin was a sickly pale.

"Dipper what…what happened?" He quirked an eyebrow and then nodded understandingly. "Well the other Dipper he…well I arrived shortly after he and Gideon escaped. According to Robert he must have set off some small explosion on the front porch and it knocked you out." She nodded, and as her aching head beginning to filter memories properly. Dipper noticed the haunted look sneaking up onto her face, and scooted closer. "Mabel…are you okay?"

Panic crossed her face and she gripped his shoulder, causing her brother to wince. "Dipper! He's going to try and bring back his sister!" The investigator shied away, pushing her hand off his shoulder and stroking it lightly. "Woah, woah, calm down okay?" She was about to say "But-" when her brother raised his free hand. "Just explain this all to me…okay?" Nodding the brunette shifted ungracefully, attempting to make herself comfortable as she recalled the uncomfortable memories. "He-he…he said that when you and Stan and everyone was dead, he and his sister would kill Gideon and then…they could do whatever they wanted with me."

Mabel failed at any attempts to keep the morbid thoughts out, but succeeded in meeting Dipper's gaze. His next words however, forced her to look away and she felt a slight surge of shame. "This wouldn't have happened if you hadn't left me and Wendy alone at the club." She glanced at the slumbering pig on the floor. "I-there were a couple of stupid teenagers who-" Dipper nodded, "I know." She glanced up in surprise, and he elaborated. "I was up most of the night, I grilled Gid for all the details, and he told me all everything. But I-" He sighed and ran finger across his face. "Why didn't you come find me and Wendy? I mean, no bullies are gonna beat a bunch of kids up in them middle of the crowd!" She placed her hands on either side of her chestnut locks and groaned. "I know. I know!"

Leaning forward he looked her in the eye. "I was really worried Mabel! Gideon, our Gideon, showed up at the party making threats when I interrogated him, and I was worried that he had…" Her guilt increased upon as he trailed off, and she felt the need to hug him. She knew that now wasn't the time though, and waited for him to regain his composure. "Mabel, what is the number one rule of the Twin Code?"

She grew a smile when he mentioned the mantras which she had created to help the two of them survive school, but the smiled faded as she recited the number one rule. "_Rule 1_; always go find your twin if your being bullied." Despite being the creator of the creed, she recited it as though it were a passage from the _Mein Kampf_, the rule serving as the final damning piece of evidence in her trial.

Dipper nodded, looking slightly hurt. "YEAH! I mean, even if they _didn't _listen to me, they weren't gonna argue with Wendy. She beats up jerks like that for breakfast." Mabel tried to defend herself, "I'm sorry okay! They were after Gid, and Pacifica really wanted to leave, so I just went along with it. We should have doubled back, but you were having such a good time with Wendy I figured you would be fine with the space."

The tired detective sighed and pinched his nose, "I know, I know. You were just doing what felt right in the moment." When he returned his gaze to her she spotted something broken, and she asked tentatively what had happened with Wendy. "It doesn't matter, she uh, left for hoem after we figured out

"Dipper we have to stop him…I mean, I don't think that the other version of me deserved to die, but we'll never be able to fight the twins, Bill, AND Gideon. I mean evil Gideon…I mean...URG!" Grabbing a pillow, she groaned and buried her head in it. Dipper placed a hand on her shoulder, rubbing slowly in an attempt to relive some of her frustration and fear. He spoke in low tone that he hoped was confident, but Mabel was having trouble trusting.

"It's gonna be alright. Me, Gid and Robert will get started on figuring out how he's planning on resurrecting her, you and Paz can do some scouting and figure out where Gideon is keeping my double. Okay?" She gave him a slight smile, but bit her lip and debated whether to tell him that he seriously needed to get some sleep. _Why be honest? You still haven't told him about the explosion thing. _The enthusiastic tween sighed and averted her gaze, her traitorous thoughts questioning her methods down to the bone.

_It doesn't matter, _she instructed herself, _what matters is that Dipper doesn't develop sickness from sleep deprivation. _"Umm bro, can I…can I be honest with you?" He nodded, "I wouldn't want anything less…" Coughing, she sat up and struggled to locate the correct words. "I umm, I…" He raised an eyebrow humorously and she sighed, wondering why it was hard just to tear him away from his research. _Because what he does is important and amazing, stuff you aren't smart enough to understand. Because people need him, he always has to be there to finish off the bad guy, while you fool around. _

"You look like you need some sleep. Why don't you sleep and let everyone else focus on the research and whatnot." He sighed and avoided her gaze, "Mabel, I don't think Robert can handle organization, he couldn't even give me a reason why he wasn't watching the evil Dipper. I promise I'll rest late-" Crawling across the bed, she placed a hand on his shoulder, and attracted his attention. "Dipper. Please, for me?" He stared at her for a few long seconds, before nodding, and climbing into bed. Mabel smiled and rolled off the bed, removing Dipper's shoes and cap, before pinching her nose. "Dude, what's the last time you took a shower?" He blushed lightly and shrugged sheepishly. "Well as soon as you're done sleeping, you need to take a shower. O-kay?" He grumbled agreement, and she strode of with a smile.

"Don't worry broseph, I have it all under control."

**-+=^0^=+-**

Stanford Pines rolled out of bed, yawning and rubbing his exposed eye. He glared at himself in the mirror, and checked his teeth to make sure that none were yellowing. He noticed too that the hair at the very back of his neck was turning vaguely white. Not the vainest man in the world, he shrugged it off and pretended it didn't matter. _Times running out Stanford, time's running out and you can't run nearly as fast as you used to. _Telling himself to shut up, he sat back down and stretched. He hated to admit it, but Mabel's command to get some sleep had been exactly what he had needed. He felt refreshed, pumped up and ready to go, and the idea of killing anybody was far from his mind.

He felt like a new man.

After taking a shower he dressed, grabbed his pyramid-headed cane, and strode out of the room. He entered the front to find the raven haired teen sitting behind the counter, reading. "Hey bookworm!" he snapped his fingers, and the boy sat up straight, saluting him as if trained in the military. "Where's my cashier girl?" The teen (William Stan thought his name was, William or Bob) relaxed slightly and shrugged casually. "She hasn't come in yet, so I figured I would attend to the early morning crowd while Dipper talked with Mabel." Stan nodded, not knowing why the twins had to speak with one another, but not really caring either. "Well um, good work, and tell Wendy that I want to talk to her when she comes in okay?" He didn't know why, but for some reason, he decided that this was the last straw. _Must have been my rest, it cleared my mind._

The librarian nodded, and Stan stepped outside, his sharp eyes scanning the first group of tourists hungrily. As he crossed the parking lot, a smile crossed his face, and he spoke to them in voice that he himself was unfamiliar with. "My names Liam Szyfr and I take it your all a bunch of walking wallets?" They laughed, and he gave them a million dollar grin. "I'm just kidding, I know who you are…" For a brief moment his eyes flashed with golden light, but anyone who had been paying close enough attention would end up dismissing it as a trick of the dawn light.

"You're the people who want to learn about the mysterious forces of Gravity Falls. Well I'm afraid that all things must come with a price my friends, but if you follow me that price will be insignificant to the wonders I shall show you. They are beyond your wildest imaginations!" They cheered, and followed him like sheep as he led them into his house.

**-+=^0^=+-**

When Wendy had first awoken, he head felt like an ogre wasp pounding on it.

She had woken up on the floor of her bedroom, most of her clothes scattered around the room. After stumbling down the hall, she took some ibuprofen, and then collapsed on the couch. She awoke two hours later, her headache almost gone. Stumbling back into her room, she tore off her dirty and stained clothes, and slowly put on new ones. Her breath didn't smell of alcohol, and she only remembered having a singular beer at the party. _This is the weirdest hang over I have ever had._

It was only once she was completely stripped, and about to take a shower, when she noticed the red stains that covered her hands and extended beneath the fingernail. Running back down the hall, she became extremely thankful for the fact that her brother's and father were on a fishing trip. She vomited into the toilet, before washing her hands extensively, and turning on a warm bath. _Relax, you probably just cut yourself last night. _But that much blood? It seemed highly unlikely. Her wish for memories after leaving Dipper at the club became more urgent, and she sighed, staring up at the white ceiling.

_This wouldn't have happened if I hadn't followed Dipper. _Closing her eyes, she tried to banish the troubling thoughts from her mind, focusing on the warmth of the water. As her mind cleared, an image became to seep in, an image of something incredibly familiar. Familiar like something that while dream you feel that you've seen before, but haven't actually. Groaning in frustration, she pulled the plug, and felt the water tugged downwards by gravity, disappearing around her as the anxiety and regret mixed awfully.

Her stomach churned as she dried off, dressed, and used a little deodorant before checking herself in the mirror. _^Long time no see Red!^ _Wendy nearly screamed, she was so surprised by the creature lurking where her soggy reflection should be standing. _^What's the matter? Wendigo gotcha tongue?^ _He giggled and exited the mirror, floating over to her. Stumbling for words, Wendy backed up against the exit. "Who-how long have you been there?" The triangle rolled his eye, _^I'm demon Red. I have the same kind of sexual drive for a human being that a tennis ball has for luxury liner. While possessing a human though, well that's a whole other story…^ _

_Red? Who calls me Red? I know I've heard that nickname somewhere… _The cyclops zoomed over to her, leering with an eye that almost telescoped out of his being in a cartoonish manner. _^Besides, I'm always watching you Red. I could draw a picture of you naked in every age (I can see the future by the way) in my sleep. If I needed sleep that is…^ _the very idea of this _thing _had been watching her as a little girl, caused the churning in her stomach to worsen considerably. "Just get to the point man! What the hell is it that you wanted?"

He seemed to remember her presence, and turned around, his marvelous optic refocusing on the teen. _^Ah right! Hey, do you remember the deal we made about two weeks ago?^ _With the word "deal" she suddenly remembered the hallucination that she had experienced after collapsing in a bloody mess. _But it wasn't a hallucination, you know it…and HE knows it. _The triangle which she realized was the same "Bill" as the demon who had tried to kill her and her friends, narrowed his eye, and she realized that he knew _exactly _what she was thinking.

_^There we go. I was afraid I was gonna have to jog your memory with a song and dance number.^ _He levitated over to her, and stretched an arm around her body, hugging her tightly against his ethereal form. The side of her body touching him began to go numb, just like her brain as she realized that she was at the mercy of an extremely creepy, and incredibly animated demon. _^So remember how I saved your life-^ _"You were probably responsible for me getting hurt in the first place! You were behind those two little creeps from the beginning!" _^-And thus, saved your friends?^ _She protested further, feeling the need to criticize him for his manipulation and hypocrisy.

"THEY WERE IN DANGER BECAUSE OF YOU!" He shrugged, if it was possible, _^The point remains, you owe me a favor. And I'm here to _**COLLECT**_.^ _His eye burned a heathen red and black, and he stabbed a hand into the mouth of his indebted. She struggled, trying to push against him, but finding that while he could now touch her, she could no longer touch him. His hand rooted around inside her throat, triggering her gag reflex, and making her wish she could throw up.

The world slowly went black as high pitched cackles invaded her psyche.

**-+=^0^=+-**

_(Reverse falls)_

Stan Gleeful lay beside the dead body of his former companion. _Goddammit Fiddleford, why couldn't you just mind your own stinkin' business!? Instead you have to go gallivanting about, making deals with Bill-_a voice in his head popped up, as annoying as it was patronizing-_[YOU MEAN _WILL_, DONTCHA BUDDY?!] _

Stan grabbed one of the pans, and launched it at the window, basking in the satisfying *CRASH* that was created. Grabbing the gore covered knife, he raised himself to his full height, and stalked towards the front door. He had spent the whole night patching himself up, maintaining the portal below, and plotting revenge. And after a good night's rest, he checked Fiddleford's corpse again, came to a conclusion. If Cipher was going to crew around with his allies, then he would do likewise. _Starting with that pathetic excuse of a brother. _

Kicking the door open, the brute tore off into the surrounding forest.

**-+=^0^=+-**

"Wake up you layabout, I don't have time for sloth…"

Dipper's eyes flickered open, the dream containing his sister disappearing before his eyes, to be replaced by the ugly little child responsible for his release. Grunting, he lightly shoved the nine year old off, and rolled out of bed. His legs were unsteady, and he stumbled forwards, feeling pain rocket throughout his chest with every breath taken. Gideon giggled upon detecting his heavy discomfort, and stepped over to him with a sly grin.

"One doesn't match strength with a werewolf and come out on top my friend." Dipper placed a hand on the wardrobe of the tiny room. "I'm not *aghh* I'm not any friend of yours." Gideon raised an eyebrow, and the magician found himself stumbling the direction of the door. "We are business partners, nothing more, nothing less." The white haired boy sighed and shrugged in agreement, watching Dipper enter the dusty falls. "I had you patched up to the best of my ability, but of course I can't work wonders…" Dipper glanced around the ancient house, "Where am I shortstuff?"

Ignoring the provocative nickname, Gideon stepped closer and began explaining the history of the house. "This is Gleeful halls, a small mansion by the lake side. The family came on hard times some thirty years back, and we had it foreclosed. The city wanted to demolish it but, well we spread a few rumors about curses and people refused to touch the property." Dipper located the stairs, and used the decaying walls and stripping wallpaper for support. "I may not be as rich or popular as I was when they _sent me off_…" Gideon shivered, and Dipper rested at the top of the spiral staircase, staring down into the basement.

For a brief moment, the memory of a Gregory Schmidt came to mind. The boy had pestered Mabel with his affections in fifth grade, and subsequently, Dipper had summoned an imp and instructed the demon to frame the boy for stealing and assault. The boy was sent off to juvenile hall, and later a mental institution after raving about demons with green eyes, charred skin, and echoing laughter.

"…But I will still reside in style." Dipper turned back to Gideon, realizing that he would be unable to descend the stairs on his own. Sighing, he requested the assistance he so heavily loathed, "Alright, tell me what our first move is as you help me down the stairs." Gideon seemed taken aback at the command, but rolled his eyes and ran over, doing as instructed.

**-+=^0^=+-**

_(Reverse falls)_

It had taken some convincing, but Wendy had finally gotten Bud Pines to offer assistance and lie the old man down in the spare bedroom. She now sat beside him, watching as his face tensed in his sleep, and he occasionally murmured something about a portal and a bill.

When he finally awakened, he seemed to be shocked by her existence. Then he calmed, and found himself glancing around the room. _God, he almost looks like old man Gleeful. _"Umm sir, you uh, you nearly collapsed out in the forest, and I helped you here. My name is Wendy Corduroy." She extended a hand, and watched him shift uncomfortably, before extending his own. _Six fingers. Where have I seen that before? _After shaking her hand, his recoiled and he spoke in a gruff voice, barely more than a whisper.

"Stanley Pi-Gleeful at your service…" It was her turn to recoil. "You…you mean like Stan Gleeful?" _It can't be, he doesn't have the same scars, the same tattoos. Besides, Old Man Gleeful doesn't have six fingers, does he? _The memory of fingers, like delicate but huge tarantulas, running up the side of her form chilled her to the bone, and she had to take a step back.

The old man bit his lip, "No I…he's _Stanford_, I am just a…relative." Wendy felt some of her resentment bubble to the surface, "Oh yeah? What are you? His cousin? How long have you been in town?" He sighed, "Listen, I don't know what Stanford did to you. And I sincerely apologize for whatever it was…but I had _nothing to do with it_." She could see the regret in his eyes, and stepped closer. "Okay _Stanley_, explain."

He bit his lip, "Listen, this story is going to sound completely insane, but I swear that it's all true. Okay?" Now Wendy knew that something was up in this town. She had once spotted what looked like a tentacle disappearing into the lake. She knew that people disappeared around here all the time. She had once been attacked by a giant bat.

But nothing could have prepared her for the story that the old man was about to toss her way.

"Try me."

**-+=^0^=+-**

McGucket twisted the nail into place, wiping sweat from his brow, and stepping back to admire the device. Just looking at it nearly repaired brought back a memory.

"_You done good Fiddleford." _

_Two men, looking incredibly similar, stood on either side of him. The one that had his hand on his shoulder (six fingers there, always six fingers there). The trio were staring up at the great metal triangle, (this was it, this was the answer) finally finished after (weeks? Months? Years?). _

_The six fingered fellow turned to his brother (brother?) and spoke in a humorous tone. "You know what this means don't you Stan?" He rolled his eyes, as if this was a regular thing. "You're gonna finally be able to speak to girls?" Smiling, the glasses wearing twin leaped in the air. "That's right, BOYAH!" Fiddleford remembered saying something along the lines of "I don't think that'll ever happen." _But the flashback ended abruptly and McGucket's eyes fluttered open.

His mind a spin with new information, he stumbled out of the cave, hoping that some fresh air would do him good. But as soon as he caught sight of the creature which lurked in the bushes, he stopped dead in his tracks, and panic started to swell within him. _If I run into the cave I can grab a weapon, but I'll be trapped. But if I run into the woods it will most likely outrun me. _Put in an incredibly treacherous situation, the mutant, insane part of his brain took over, and he snorted slightly, before bolting into the underbrush.

The fiery eyed beast tore after him, moving at lightning speed.

**-+=ATBASH^0^LAST TIME I'M SAYING THIS=+-**

__**_Gsv tvmrfh' drgslfg nvnlib nzpv uli gsv yvhg kzdmh._**

**_I hope you enjoyed. I'm sorry about how short this is, I hope you don't think of it as a filler chapter. _**

**_AGNOWLEDGEMENTS:_**

**Lisa** chapter 4.

_Censors the word fucking but not the word cunt, GENIUS._

**_In my personal code, use of the F word constitutes an M rating. Since I want this story to stay T rated I censored it. I guess I think of curse words differently than you do, but to me, the F word is worse than the C word._**

**The Keeper of Worlds** chapter 4.

_It'll fall into the fire and its ashes will blind and choke all. Can't wait to see who fans the fire towards an inferno :)_

_**Should you really be smiling about that?**_

**grungekitty** chapter 4.

_Wait...do you hear that?  
Wendy...I think it's...a phone ringing? But how can that be? Unless I FREAKING CALLED IT!_

_lol. still love this story._

_**I love transdimensional phones.**_


	6. Escaping the monster

**6 **

** Warning: Some extremely adult content. Not for the squeamish. **

**-+=^0^=+-**

Bill wrapped his deathly cold fingers around Paz's neck, giggling as she chocked and struggled against his inhuman strength. Gid lay on the ground nearby, as did Robert, Mabel, and several others. The forest had been incinerated by Bill, and the only noticeable landmark was the huge boulder which Bill now pushed her against.

The demon grinned, revealing diamond teeth, stained by blood. **_^ I told you that I was sick of your bitching. My only regret is that I didn't kill you first…^ _**The blond's feet dangled and her bare ankles banged against the stone as her spine was painfully forced against the jagged rock. Gasping, she used her last strength to grip his ashen manacle, and failed to remove his vice-like grip.

His licentious grin grew as her vision began to blacken, and she gave one last gasp for breath as she heard a familiar voice yell, "LEAVE HER ALONE!" Bill's head twisted, just before a blade extended through Bill's chest and nearly touched her nose. The demon writhed on the sword, and his grip drew slack, causing her to fall to the ash coated ground with a gasp. Bill gave her one last look, before cracks covering his skin, and he exploded in front of her, his energy causing the tip of the sword to glow.

The owner of the weapon extended a hand to help her up, and as she grabbed it the smoke cleared and she recognized her savior as Dipper Pines. His hair was covered in dirt, cinders, and matted by dried blood, his face covered by various abrasions and bruises. Despite this, there was still a powerful fire in his eyes, and this fire grew as he grabbed the dissipating power, and it infused itself into him. His skin glowed with golden light, and she stared up at him in awe as he fired bolts of energy into the nearby corpses.

The amber energy filled them, and they slowly began to come to. Dipper placed a hand on her bruised neck, and his body rippled with unbridled power as the flesh re-mended itself, and she found herself mesmerized by his eyes. The ashes reformed into trees, the smoke in the sky disappearing and revealing a sky with two suns. Dipper placed his hand on hers, and the godlike power exited his body like a prisoner from a dungeon, and disappeared into the sky, causing a strange atmospheric effect.

Pacifica's attention was brought back to her savior as he raised their hands, and gazed into her eyes. She could barely hear him, but his voice remained extremely comforting none the less, filled with wisdom and kindness beyond his years. "Don't worry, everything is going to be fine…" He leaned forward and her eyes fluttered closed as his lips touched hers.

"PAZ! Wake up!" A small hand shook her shoulder, and her eyes fluttered open, focusing on her best friend. Gid looked kind of regretful for awaking her, and she tried to give him a smile. Despite how tired she was from yesterday's ruckus, and how comfortable the room in the glass world was, last night had seemingly dragged on forever. And the Dipper-butler in there had not helped to take her mind of the complications of the day.

She had considered asking to sleep beside Dipper upstairs, but that would require asking Robert for the key, and he had locked himself away in a room. Not only that, but she knew that the caring pre-teen desired to be beside his unconscious sister in case something happened. She had fallen asleep while she was supposed to be helping Gid with his research, quite sure that the scribbly text of The Journals would be able to put her to sleep even if she wasn't exhausted.

Glancing around the well lit room, she wiped some saliva off her face when she saw Mabel watching her, and slipped out of her seat. Mabel stepped closer with a smile, "Umm, you and me are gonna go check out Gideon's old hideout. Are you up for it?" Gid looked slightly disappointed she wasn't staying here with him, but not only was research mind-boggingly boring, but Pacifica was about as good at it as she was at defusing land mines or speaking Polish.

"Yeah sure, anything to get out of this stuffy house." Mabel smiled, "Okay…Gid, Dipper didn't get much sleep so he's resting, we'll call at 3:14 with information, if we haven't called within that hour, then somethings wrong, okay?" The white haired boy tried to wipe the glum expression off his face, and nodded. Mabel smiled wider and tugged Paz out of the room. "Just wait, the new golf cart is awesome, and you can drive as I braid your hair!"

The startled blonde did her best to wave at Robert as she pulled out the front door and in the direction of the golf cart. She let out an unenthusiastic "Yay."

**-+=^0^=+-**

"Is this _all _you have?"

Dipper was scanning the table, inspecting Gideon's ingredients. Glancing over at his benefactor, he saw the younger boy glaring. "Well as you well know…I'm at a bit a finical _lull _right now. My father had to steal the limo from the impound lot." Dipper sighed and picked up a shriveled mandrake root, wrinkling his nose and tossing it across the decaying dining table, turning his attention to Gideon as it collided with a horn.

"Well this…this will not work." He hobbled closer, still wincing despite the new bandages and healing ointment. "If we want to succeed, the first thing we need is we funds. What is the quickest way to money around here?" He licked his lips, glancing around the dusty room, "Is there some hidden gold, or rare beasts we can capture and sell?" Gideon stroked his chin for a moment, before brightening, and stepping closer. "I have a better idea…" Dipper spotted a dangerous sparkle in his grey eyes, and resisted the urge to retract when Gideon placed a hand on his shoulder. "What pray tell, is your mask size?"

**-+=^0^=+-**

Robert handed the illuminati snow globe to the greasy gentleman, bidding him a farewell as he exited the room. He tried to focus on his book, but the lull in business caused his guilt and self-loathing would rally against him. After all, had he listened to his overbearing conscious earlier, then a psychopath might not be on the loose.

_He's going to kill somebody, you know that he's going to kill somebody. And when he does, it will be on you. _He shivered, and placed the Melville on the table, rubbing his eyes and trying to justify his weakness. _How was I supposed to know that there was a crazy version of Gid on the loose? _His mind argued back, like a feuding neighbor. _You should have been prepared._

"IT'S NOT MY JOB TO PREPARE FOR EVERYTHING!"

Everyone in the room turned to him, and with a blush he suddenly wished that Wendy could just hurry up and _get here. What was taking her so long anyway? She was out partying, while at least he had done _some _work. _He sighed, and rubbed his temple, his mustache feeling very uncomfortable for some reason. Just as his headache began to die down though, the sound of a bell ringing filled the air, and the annoyance returned with a vengeance.

Robert opened his eyes, and the ache worsened as McGucket entered the room, beginning to yell shrilly about a monster. "Whoa, whoa, McGucket…calm down, what happened?" The old man scampered over to the counter, gazing up at the teen with eyes which were mad with fear. "A beast, A HUGE, awful beast…it tried to kill me. We have to run, get all your friends and run!" The nearby tourists all rolled their eyes or held their noses, Robert noted that one man looked ready to complain that he had let a homeless man in. Raising a hand, the raven haired teen tried to relax his senile friend, "Wait, where did you see this thing?"

The mad inventor grabbed what was left of his hair and tugged on it in frustration. "You don't understand! IT'S COMING THIS WA-" McGucket was interrupted as a claw sent the door flying off its hinges, and colliding with the old man. A beast resembling a mammoth in size and fur, but wearing the head of a giant yellow eyed wolf, with bear claws, barreled through the front of the shop. Its fur was black and red, weather that was its natural coloration or blood, Robert was unable to tell. He was too stunned by the massive yellow canines and spear like claws.

It shook the whole building with a roar that blocked out the screams of the panicking customers, and turned to him, growing a hungry look in its sickly flaxen eyes. Robert leaped over the counter just as the beast raked a claw across the area where he had been, destroying the cash register and causing coins to bounce and roll everywhere.

Robert scrambled to his feet, and grabbed the arm of the half conscious McGucket, pulling the elder into the next room as the beast roared again and charged after them. He shoved the startled Gideon out of his seat and yelled for him to follow as the beast crashed through another doorway, and roared hard enough to cause the chandelier to almost crash downwards and scatter the papers which covered the splintery table. It needn't have, because moments later, just as Robert made it to the tour room, he caught sight of his pursuer trampling over the table.

Up ahead, Stan stood next to a tour of visitors, sweeping his cane through the air in a grand fashion. The sheep following him handed him cash, before clicking a series of low quality pictures of the glowing stones and scraps of metal that he displayed. The cane carrying gentleman turned, and stared at the beast in shock, then anger. The stunned tourists could not snap a single picture, as a claw came down in front of them, sending human beings everywhere along with a cloud of splinters.

The massive beast raked Robert across the chest as he tried to help Gid up, and he crashed into a stuffed platy-bison. His shirt torn and stained, the librarian clutched his wounds with a thin hand, and began to crawl away, hoping the cloud of debris would cover him. It did not however, and his escape attempts were thwarted when a claw pressed down on his exposed chest, and pinned him to the creaking floor.

Stan slammed the obsidian pyramid on the tip of his cane on the beast's nose, and it removed its claw, dodging a swipe and punching the same sore spot on the monster's snout. It roared and bit down on his left arm, exercising a scream out of the former boxer, before tossing him out a window.

Following the projectile, the massive bear-wolf crashed straight through the wall. That was the last thing Robert saw before passing out from pain and breathlessness.

**-+=^0^=+-**

Pacifica tried to keep her mind on the current mission, but seeing your best friend's killed and brought back to life does not tend to leave one's mind easily. Not to mention, Mabel was constantly reminding her of her existence and expertise regarding Dipper, via running her hands through her hair, intricately braiding her golden locks.

Finally, Pacifica couldn't take it any longer. "Hey Mabel…I just wanted to know, has Dipper…has he ever-" "Trained with Manotaurs? Used magical crystals to make himself taller? Summoned a video game character to defeat his enemies?" Pacifica glanced at her companion, and her confusion was quickly replaced by more embarrassment. "No I…I meant to ask if he's ever been in a relationship…" It was Mabel's turn to be confused.

"What do you mean? Why would you want to know if he-" Her face turned to that of a gawking owl as the blonde felt her cheeks pinken. "Never mind, it was a stupid question anyway." Her eyes scanning the pebble strewn path as Mabel began to hyperventilate. "YOU LIKE HIM! I _knew _it!" Mabel poked the driver in the chest, and gave Paz a brace filled smile. "You have to tell him! I know he loves you back!" Pacifica had to hold back the urge to screech to a halt. "Whoa, whoa, who said anything about "loves"? You know what, just forget I said anythi-" "NO!" Mabel grabbed her hand, and stared at her with wide and bright eyes.

"He _needs _this, he's too wrapped up in his work and worrying about Bill and everything. He needs a way to relax, and he wouldn't have offered to sleep beside you if he didn't feel the same." Pacifica's brow furrowed, "Yes he would. Maybe he's just a really good friend!" Turning slightly, she received a look of total skepticism from the brunette. "Oh yeah, he's only known you for three weeks, and he invites you into his bed, because that's just _how he rolls_." Turning away, Pacifica spotted a dusty parking lot up ahead.

"I knew I shouldn't have opened my mouth." She sighed and hit the brakes, screeching into place beside a beaten up Volvo and a police car. Just as she was climbing out, Mabel placed a hand on her arm. "I understand how you feel. But, take it from someone who has had dozens of boyfriends, you need to take advantage of the time you have now, you never know when it will be too late and you will be stuck wondering "what if?" Okay?" The party girl bit her lip, before giving her a look that spelled out thanks, and nodding.

Turning away, she looked around the parking lot, and found that it was almost entirely full. "Umm Mabel, any chance this place was turned into an impound lot?" The besweatered girl was already at the entrance of the tent, staring at a hastily created poster shrewdly. "Paz, you're gonna want to see this…" Following her over, she stared up at scribbly parchment. It depicted a young boy, his arms unusually skinny. He wore a gold and teal suit, with a rainbow party mask that had five spikes extending out of the sides.

Looking the masked figure up and down a few times, Paz read the name at the bottom, before turning to Mabel for clarity and admitting her ignorance. "I don't get it. Who is "the Masked Wunderkind"? Is he like a child celebrity or-" Mabel responded in a slow voice, far more methodical than her usual one. "Imagine him without the mask Paz." Pacifica returned her gaze to the poster, before glancing at Mabel in dismay. "He-I mean, why would he-" Mabel merely shrugged and turned towards the exit. "I don't know, but we have to go inside and see if it really is him."

Paz turned her attention to the tall mask wearer in the ticket booth, and groaned. "We have to go in there don't we?" Mabel nodded soberly, "How much cash do you have?"

**-+=^0^=+-**

_(Reverse Falls)_

"You're insane..."

Wendy stepped away from the old man, unsure of how volatile he might be. Glancing back, she watched his wrinkled face fill with slight disappointment but understanding. "I know how it sounds…but I tell you its all true!" "YEAH RIGHT! Just…just how _stupid_ do you think I am?" The old man grit his teeth, "Listen, I told you my story. I swear by it, now we don't have much time before HE will be here…"

The goth shook her head, "Listen, Old man Gleeful is a creep, but there's no way he did half the stuff you say he di-" A scream outside interrupted her, and "Stanley" grew a look of fear and despair. He stumbled to his feet, and turned to her. "Is there a car around here? Please…we have to get out of here…I CAN'T GO BACK!" He grabbed her collar roughly and she saw the terror of a broken man in his eyes.

It was the look of a man who had been locked up the majority of his life, and considered suicide a preferable fate to returning to the mind drizzling insanity of his previous existence. He was at the end of his rope, about to plummet back into the abyss from whence he came.

But all sympathy for him was lost. He was grabbing her collar, with hands oh so similar to those of his supposed captor. _No one grabs me like that, especially not a Gleeful. _She pulled away sharply, a cascade of dizzily formed memories returning in an awful succession.

_A hand grabbing her collar, nearly strangling her young throat in its force. Those deep, dark eyes, the kind that her grandmother had warned her about. "The eyes of the devil," She had warned, and oh how Wendy wished she had listened. His iron grip on her tiny wrist and demeanor quickly broke her "tough girl" act, extorting tears out of the seven year old redhead as he tugged her along, all the while whispering that the same thing over and over. "No one peeks in my windows and gets away with it, no one." The door had opened with the creak of a horror movie door, the kind that belongs to some kind of cannibalistic hick._

She was pulled out of her stupor by a second cry, and rushed out of the spare room just in time to see her boss have his throat slit.

Blood spurted across Stan Gleeful, who gave her a hideous grin, his yellow, rodent like teeth, now stained by plasma. His silver and gold fillings still gleamed in the mid-morning light, the reflective beam crossing with that of his stake knife. The weapon dripped red, now resembling one of the raspberry jam coated butter knives which her brothers slathered their PB and J with. The murderous ape threw Bud aside like a sack of flower, the obese man colliding with his employee, the gutted Soos.

Intestines crossed the floor like snakes stripped of their scales, and Wendy covered her mouth as she backed away from the horrifying man. "Now, now sweetheart…I only killed them because they weren't very…cooperative. Now the cops are gonna be here soon, so I don't want to waste time. Just tell me where my brother is, and I'll leave with him…" Judging by his lecherous grin and the hand behind his back, she knew he was lying through his crooked teeth, and continued to back away, using her peripherals to search for viable weapons.

"Okay…okay…I'll cooperate. Just please don't kill me…please, I have a boyfriend who I love, and a scholarship." She had neither of those things, but her seventh and eighth grade acting classes were paying off. Maybe the scared little girl act (ironic, considering their last encounter), would fool him long enough for her to form a plan. He chuckled, "I'm sure you do, I'm sure you have a family…" She nodded, the fear in her eyes only slightly exaggerated as she neared the door to the spare room. "…I'm sure you have your _whole_ life ahead of you, and I don't want to ruin your chance...so tell me where the six fingered coot is, and I'll leave with me _property._"

For a moment she considered it, just telling him that the old man was in the room beside them, and running for it. After all, that guy had lived a long life, and his mind was not in the best order. But Gleeful's insanity, proved that there might be some truth behind the elder's words. And despite her fear and apathy for other human beings, Wendy Corduroy simply could not abandon this person she had just met. Perhaps it was because she had seen so much torment and regret in his eyes. Perhaps it was because she had never truly cared about anyone as much as this old man, or hated someone as much as the brute before her.

So in dooming motion, she grabbed the knob of the door and swung it open, breaking the nose of her opponent and ushering the author towards her. He grabbed her hand with one of his callous ones, and ran towards the exit, expertly navigating the house as though it was his own. "THIS WAY!" Growls and grunts, more indicative of a territorial hog than a human filled the air, and Wendy could feel her young heart racing as she wished that she hadn't skipped gym nearly as much.

The back door burst open and they scrambled towards the beaten up El Diablo. Stanley through open the passenger door and slipped inside, Wendy coming to a sickening conclusion as she sat down in front of the steering wheel. _Shit, the keys! _But it seemed that her worry was unneeded, as her elderly companion leaned down and began hotwiring the car. "Why do you know how to hotwire a car?!" He didn't answer her, concentrating completely on the task at hand. His silence caused her to raise her head and see Stan Gleeful step out onto the back porch, and pick up the long abandoned hatchet which lay beside the rocking chair.

Charging towards them, he swung the newfound weapon in the air like one of the Indian's in her dad's wild-west collection, before slamming it down on the windshield. The shards sprayed everywhere, slicing across the protectively raised knuckles of the ducking Wendy. The maniac ripped the hatchet out of the chair and raised it high in the air. "Times up…DUCKIES!" He snarled hideously, and Stanley literally punched the gas as he finished.

The ancient automobile sputtered, before jerking forward, and winding the unsuspecting ax wielder. Their muscular attacker slid across the front of the car, and Wendy hit the brakes, Stanley retracting his hand just in time to avoid it getting crushed by her heels, and to land a stinging punch to his captor's face.

Blood spurted across the dashboard as Stanford's nose broke, and his enraged face was stained by blood. Wendy swerved, unable to really see where she was going, the redhead slammed on the horn in hopes to warn anyone who might be up ahead. The blaring noise further aggravated Old Man Gleeful, who gripped the car hood with one hand and swiped at them with the other. She swerved back and forth in an attempt to shake him off, but he had clamped down like a vice and her attempts served only to enrage him further.

Roaring, he grabbed the inter-dimensional version of his twin, and slammed him against the dashboard. "THOUGHT YOU COULD ESCAPE DIDJA'? THOUGHT BILL WAS JUST GONNA LET YOUR SUFFERING END, HUH?" The mentally unstable coot bent like a tree in a hurricane, clutching his broken face, and screaming hard enough to injure his voice box. "GET OUT OF MY HEAD YOU SON OF A BITCH, GET THE F*** OUT OF MY HEAD!" He retaliated against the voice by swinging hatchet down on Wendy's thigh, electing an ear splitting scream from the newly injured redhead. Stanford regained slight consciousness and landed a brutal hit to the side of his prisoner's head.

Her companion slumping forward and clutched his head as his vison blackened, as Wendy stared up at her red faced attacker in dismay. He chuckled and closed a hand around her throat.

**-+=^0^=+-**

Dipper woke up in a sweat, his eyes imitating saucers as he slid out of bed, and hit the floor with a dull thunk. The latest nightmare had involved the shredding of flesh, and it chilled him to the bone. But his gruesome thoughts were interrupted by a roar downstairs. _What the hell is going on? _Groaning, he rubbed his bruised cranium as he used the bed to scramble to his feet, and darted towards the room's exit. The roaring intensified as he descended the staircase, and after hearing his great uncle unleash a string of curses, Dipper sprinted down and whipped around the corner, charging towards the source of the chaos.

He found a massive hole in the wall, with Robert lying beside it with his eyes closed. Looking out the hole, the young investigator stared in amazement as Stan kept two massive jaws from clamping down on him, by pushing against a massive creature's gums with his cane. _What is that thing made of? _Grabbing a piece of rubble, Dipper launched it at the beast, and watched it bounce off its skull. The animal turned its sights on him, and slapped Stan, sending him tumbling across the dusty path.

The beast turned away from its ragdoll and lumbered in Dipper's direction as he began to back up. _This was a bad idea, this was an awful idea. WHAT THE HELL WAS I THINKING!? Oh god, oh god I'm going to die. _Dipper tried to dart down the hall, lure the creature away from his friends, but the beast had already slammed a paw down in front of the hall, preventing any escape. Dipper tried to keep an eye trained on his snarling attacker as he searched for a weapon of any kind, but tripped on Robert's arm. He hit the floor like a rock, and scooted backwards in time to avoid a rending claw.

"GET OUT OF HERE!" He knew that the creature probably couldn't understand him, but had been taught that if a bear attacks you, you were supposed to make a lot of noise. _This thing was KIND OF a bear wasn't it? _Apparently not, because the creature just reacted by roaring louder and batting Dipper to the side with a quick hit. The young boy winced as the creature raised its cage of teeth and opened it to clamp down on him.

But the rock struck the beast's hindquarters, and Dipper opened his eyes to see McGucket dancing up and down, screaming taunts like "COME 'EN GET ME YA' SMELLFUNGUS." or "That's it, come eat me you lickspittle!" The beast charged, and Dipper leapt to his feet, dashing forward as he expected to see the elderly inventor reduced to a pile of shattered bones.

He skidded to a halt as a limousine collided with the beast (unbeknownst to him, it was the second time in the past two days), and the creature rolled across the ground, before growling and limping off into the forest. Fiddleford almost fainted, and Dipper ran over to help Stan up. He was quickly joined by Gid and Pacifica, who apparently had been coming to visit in her parent's limo when Gideon had ran into the front for help.

Eventually they got Robert into bed, and Stan in his recliner. When the police had been lied to and the Shack was closed up, Dipper grabbed some old mushroom pizza and sat on the kitchen counter. Pacifica approached him silently, pulling herself up beside him. "Are you okay? You look like you could use some sleep." He threw the piece of pizza back into the box, almost violently, and spoke between gritted teeth. "I. Don't. Need. Sleep." The blonde raised an eyebrow, surprised by his tone. "Are you sure, because your eyes-" "WHENEVER I'M NOT AROUND, SOMETHING AWFUL HAPPENS!"

He stared at her with a strange mix of ferocity and regret, his hands clawing the air subconsciously. Pacifica was never to be yelled at, and was about to give him a piece of her mind, when the regret won her over. She placed a hand one of his quivering ones, and moved his chin so that her gaze met his. "Tell me what's wrong. You helped me, now let me help you." His frustration faded, and he averted eye contact, unable to stare at her directly. Chuckling roughly, he spoke in a clotted voice. "You already helped, you saved McGucket's life." She rolled her eyes playfully, "You know what I mean Pines." She picked up the piece of pizza he had chucked, and handed it to him as she scooted closer.

"You don't even have to tell me everything, but at the very least give me an idea of what's wrong." He sighed, and faltered, before speaking his mind. "I've been having a lot of nightmare's recently, and I…I have so much to do, so much to prepare for, I feel constantly worn out. Bill is coming, and my psycho clone is on the loose, and I need to get these guys back to their world. But without them I don't know if I can defeat Bill. And now Gideon's back, and I know he has a thing for Mabel, and if I'm not careful he might-" She squeezed his hand, and he glanced up at her, his stress temporarily put on hold. "Listen dude, you have like, a bajillion friends, and they all care about you. Have a little faith in others, and don't try to hold the world on your shoulders. Okay?"

He gulped and nodded, but continued his rant. "That's the thing, I _want _to, I really, really do. But I-" He sighed in frustration, glancing at the tile floor. "I just have trouble trusting people. So much is riding on everything going perfectly, and every time I turn around someone messes up _something. _I just don't want-" Dipper groaned and rubbed his forehead, his companion frowning. "Dipper, I promise you'll feel better to get it off your chest." The young investigator nodded, the logical part of his brain insisting that he wasn't really afraid of this thing, whereas the other half of his mind was absolutely terrified.

"I'm afraid of losing Mabel." Pacifica's eyes widened, and he cleared his throat, feeling it attempt to close up on him. "I didn't tell you this before but, when I found the evil Mabel's corpse, I didn't know that it was…the other Mabel. I thought…I thought I had lost her." Pacifica felt the need to hug him, but wanted to allow her friend to finish his emotional tale. "I was so freaked out, I was ready to do anything just to have her back. I-I don't know what I would have done to the other me if Mabel had died because of him. And I don't know if I could…" Tears leaked from his red eyes, and scooted to face her. "I d-don't know if I could go on without her. How-how could I cry, and laugh, and eat and watch corny movies when she-she…"

The blond leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him. "Don't worry Dipper, nothing is going to happen to Mabel." The sobbing detective protested despite himself. "B-but you don't know that, and I-I keep having these awful dreams where I lose her and everyone and…" He was unable to say anymore, and Pacifica squeezed his shuddering frame against her steadfast one. Then she pulled him away and brushed the tears from his eyes, "Because you are Dipper Pines. You have fought demons, dinosaurs, and robots. You can do things most people can only dream of." He tried to protest but she placed a hand on his mouth to quiet him. "I've seen it Dipper, you can defeat anything when you put your mind to it. You can help people do amazing things. Just look at what you got me to do." He returned her small smile, and sniffed loudly.

"Do you know why the other Dipper lost his sister?" Dipper was unable to form words at the moment so he just shrugged. "Because he didn't have the one thing you do, that he doesn't." Dipper frowned, "My cap?" Pacifica let out a small giggle, and rolled her eyes. "No silly…" She placed her hands in his. "Friends." Dipper glanced down at her gloved hands and smiled. Pacifica leaned closer, "And umm, maybe you can come by tomorrow and tell me about your dreams. It'll help to get them all out in the open." He nodded, and thanked her for her council. "You would have done the same for me big guy." She leaned closer, and his breath caught as she came incredibly close to touching his lips with hers.

"Okay, we got good news and bad new-" Paz stopped in the doorway, her deep blue eyes broadening at the sight before her. Pacifica turned at the sound of the familiar voice, and became even more surprised than her counterpart. Dipper glanced between them, one wearing a handmade aqua sweater, and the other wearing a designer tee and shorts. He hopped off the counter and tried to speak but she stopped him. "She uh, she knows about me?" Dipper glanced at his comforter, who by now had a red face and was uncharacteristically flustered. He didn't blame her for knowing even less than he how to handle the situation.

"Well a monster attacked The Shack, and she scared it off with her limo. Although, I guess we can sort of attribute that to the limo driver…heh, heh." His nervous laughter was deafening in its loneliness. Coughing, he tried to speak despite how much the flaring of Paz's nostrils disheartened him. "We were discussing something, and Pacifica here helped me with my problems…" Paz turned her attention from him back to her duplicate. She stepped closer and looked her up and down, ignoring Dipper's ramblings. "I can't believe I would ever wear shoes like those." The red in Pacifica's face turned to that of anger, "Your one to talk. Who wears an aqua sweater?!" Dipper shot a glare in her direction, and she relented slightly. "I mean, _besides _Mabel. I just don't see how my fashion sense could be that askew."

Dipper had to situate himself between the two steaming blonde's, just to prevent them from leaping on each other and wrestling on the floor (despite the fact that such a fight would be a welcomed erotic fantasy). "Guys, please…can you both just…calm down?" They glared past him, before Pacifica picked up her purse and crossed the room. "Bye Dipper, I hope you can still come over tomorrow." Then she was gone with a flick of the hair, and Dipper was left with her counterpart. Who was now looking twice as enraged now that she knew about his and Pacifica's plans.

She looked ready to say something, before swiveling on her heel and marching off. He tried to follow her, but she was already using the Robert's enchanted mirror. Robert must have put some kind of spell that prevented it from falling off the wall, because it remained hanging, whereas all the pictures had fallen from their places due to the quakes created by the beast. Just as he reached her, the blond disappeared in a flash of green, and Dipper chose not to follow her.

Turning away, he sighed and spotted Mabel, deciding to give his not-so-secret admirer some space as he traded info with his sister. _Just when everything seems perfect, BOOM! something ruins it._ Shaking his head, he entered the room to see Mabel showing an injured Stan some stolen posters, and trying to cheer him up with a knock-knock joke. Dipper smiled and stepped closer. _At least something's stay the same. _

**-+=^0^=+-**

Just as Stan Gleeful's Laughter was filling her mind and she began to black out, there was a tremendous crash.

When her eyes opened, she was slowly moving away from the crash, watching the burning vehicle and tree from above the ground. Her head and eyes ached someone had started a fire behind them, and her vision was rendered even more blurry by the billowing smoke and cinders that stung her eyes.

As she regained her senses, the goth realized that she was not floating, but was being carried over the shoulder, with a callous hand wrapped around her waist. Regardless of her concussion and broken arm, she still struggled against her carrier, certain that it was old man Gleeful. _He's going to rape me again, except this time it'll be worse, and it will end with him killing me. _A gruff voice, that her ears were unable to identify, omitted from below, and she was ready to kick the man in the face and hobble away into the woods if need be. _He's not going to get me, not again, not like last time. _

But then she spotted the body of Gleeful lying in front of the wreck, and realized that the old man she had released was carrying her to safety. Releasing a sigh of relief, she coughed and managed to croak out thanks before slipping back into unconsciousness. "Don't worry kid, you're gonna be fine."

* * *

_**Sorry if this is late. I hope this has good pacing. **_


	7. Heating up

**7**

**I have been outed, so I changed the rating to M. It was bound to happen eventually. **

* * *

Dipper Gleeful sat in front the table, etching down pockets of information on the blank sheet of paper, every time he found something noteworthy in one of the three books that he was reading simultaneously. His employer was on the other side of the table, counting the money they made and comparing it to future required expenditures. There was a slam of the front door, before his father entered, wreaking of sweat as he leaned against the dusty table for support.

Gideon glanced up at Bud, and raised a cautionary eyebrow. "Well, what did you find about the Pines?" Bud collapsed on the bench that Dipper was sitting on, causing the gangly twelve year old to bolt up and for him to accidentally break the pen and spray ink across his master piece. He sent a murderous glare the used car salesman's way, but it went unnoticed as Bud was too busy telling his story. "There was this giant beast that almost destroyed their residence, then a limo came careening down on the road and slammed into it. It was Pacifica Northwest, I assume you know what that means…"

Gideon pinched his brow, his face screwing up as the situation became much more complex. "DAMN!" He pounded his fist on the table, and Dipper put off continuing his work until the two had left or calmed. "Now they have the Northwest's behind them…" Bud nodded grimly, and Dipper had to stifle a laugh. "Why is that a problem?" They both stared at him like he was crazy, and Gideon sighed. "The Northwest's are the most powerful family in town." The normally benign southern gentleman nodded in agreement. Dipper glanced between them and grew a smile, "I fail to see the problem."

Standing, he grabbed a failed voodoo doll off the table and yank a loose nail out of the table. He clutched the rusty piece of metal, noting to wash later and cast an anti-plague enchantment to prevent tetanus, as he enjoyed the pain and feel of blood running between his fingers. "The Northwest's are an obstacle. A powerful obstacle…but still merely an obstacle." He placed the doll in front of the wary Gideon, and leaned his head in beside the younger rogue's. "I need to kill someone in order to prove myself to you…and we need to send a message to the Northwest's about what happens when you mess with us."

He raised the nail high above his head, before slamming it down, and watching the piece of metal impale the toy with a gleeful smile. "So," Dipper crouched, and saw a smile similar to his own cross Gideon's face. "What do you say boss? Can I go kill a rich girl?" The former psychic giggled and placed a hand on the doll, tearing off a leg. "Are you sure you're up to the task?" Dipper rolled his eyes, "I just did a dozen cartwheels on the stage, don't question my abilities. Just supply me with a few more of those mushrooms, and it shouldn't take longer than a few minutes."

He crossed to Bud's side, enjoying the horrified expression on the balding fool's face. "Which will almost be a disappointment because I like it when it takes longer…" Gideon gave his consent with a nod, "I'll have some new mushroom's for you in the morning, I hope you can wait until then." Dipper nodded, "That's perfect, I still have work to do anyway." Bud gulped and spoke up, "Don't-don't you think that's all a tad extreme?"

Gideon scowled at him, and Dipper raised an amused eyebrow. Bud rubbed his sweaty hands together and inched backwards, "I just…I just think that maybe it would be better to kill one of the parents…I mean, aren't they more dangerous?" Dipper and Gideon shared a look, before Dipper sighed and removed a knife from his pocket. "No…the girl needs to go because it will show how _heartless _we are, and because, my counterpart has a soft spot for that slutt. I watched as he explained his predicament to her. The two of them are bound by the bonds of _young love._ If we kill her, we send a message AND strike a great blow to our opponent's moral."

He glanced at Gideon and the white haired boy nodded in agreement, and Dipper turned back to the nervous man. "So tell me _Bud, _what exactly is the logic behind killing someone else?" He wringed his hands, "I-I mean, it's just-" he gulped, "She so young-" Dipper leaped forward like an enraged chimp and pressed the knife against his challenger's throat. "Oh so then my sister was too young?" Bud was unable to do anything but mumble incomprehensibly, and the disturbed twelve year old grit his teeth together, practically spitting in the overweight salesman's face. "People aren't more or less good depending on how young they are. I PROVE THAT!"

Bud flinched, and Dipper pressed harder. "And people don't necessarily deserve more life because there younger either! My sister and I had to deal with obsolete fuckwit's for years. Do you know what those idiots are ever gonna accomplish? SUCKING THE LIFE BLOOD OUT OF THE REST OF US!" Dipper saw the blood slide across the exposed neck and his eyes filled with twice the regular mania. "So now you are going to listen to me you obese moron, I have had enough of your fucking cowardice. I am smaller, but I am twice as quick as you, and probably stronger considering that I have snapped necks with my bare hands! You are the most replicable part of this operation, with the money we now have, we can kill you and hire a brute who won't give a fuck. Understand?"

Bud nodded vehemently, and Dipper continued his speech regardless. "So it's time to ask yourself old buddy, ol' pal. Do I want to end up in a position of power come the New World Order, or do I want to _FALL_ before all my hard work has come to fruition? PICK A GODDAMN SIDE!" Dipper turned away from the quivering mass as Bud collapsed to the floor, holding the cut on his neck as he whimpered. He relished the surprised look that was on Gideon's face, and grabbed his papers, before retreating upstairs.

_Tomorrow is promises be a magnificent day._

**-+=^0^=+-**

Wendy wiped sweat and blood from her forehead. Her vision slowly stopped spinning, and she rubbed her aching skull as she sat up.

_How the hell did I end up in the woods? _ She placed a blood soaked hand on a nearby rock, and pushed to herself to her feet. She collapsed upon the first step however, as agony burnt through her leg. _Oh god, it's broken. _Lying on the forest floor, she inspected the wound, and noticed that her clothes were not stained by her blood or sweat, as though someone had dressed her _after _whatever horrible thing had just happened. Cursing the name of the dream demon responsible, she attempted on more to stand.

Falling to the blanket of rotting leaves and pine needles which covered the ground, she came to the conclusion that she was not going anywhere without a splint. Fortunately she had practiced making one about five hundred times at the camps her father had sent her to, and tore off a strip of her flannel shirt, before scanning the area for a sizable stick. Spotting one beside the large and rotting tree opposite, she grit her teeth and tried to ignore the pain as she crawled forward on hands and knees.

Making it to the fallen branch, she wrapped it close to her injury, and used a nearby tree to help herself up. Her moans filled the woods, a new one forced out of her with every step. Finally making it onto the dirt road, the exhaustion of unknown origins won, and she collapsed in the dirt, the car horns blaring right before she blanked out.

**-+=^0^=+-**

_It's not fair._

That was what Pacifica wanted to scream, not just to the empty emerald room, but the holographic butler of Dipper. Hell, she felt the need to scream that at the actual Dipper. _But it's not his fault! _Despite the voice of logic, she still felt that if anyone was to blame for her misplaced fondness it was the object of her affections.

Glancing at the magical butler, she realized that he or it rather, was waiting for dismissal. _He looks and feels just like Dipper, I could kiss him, and there would be no consequences. _Staring at him, she beckoned him over with a finger, but felt indecision swell up inside her. Not only was she nervous about actually kissing a creature made of energy, but she was also unsure if she completely wanted to do this. After all, she enjoyed Dipper's company more than anything, the way that he could comfort her, how wise he was.

It just wasn't fair. It wasn't fair that she had fallen for an amazing person who she would probably never meet again. It wasn't fair that the one person she thought she could count on (Gid) didn't want to give advice on the subject. And it was ironic in every cruel sense of the word that he had almost kissed her counterpart. _I just want to be happy, to not have monsters and nightmares and psychopaths always attacking. For everything to not be constantly falling apart…even for a few seconds it would be nice to just be with my friends and be happy. I just…I JUST want to be happy. Why is that so much to ask?_

_"Would you like me to fetch a tissue for you?" _Looking up, Paz wiped the tears from her face and found her mother staring down at her in a light green dress. Her confusion was brought to a close when Robert's words echoed in the back of her mind; _"The servant will appear as whoever you subconsciously want it to." _Her azure eyes widened, and she slipped off the bed. _I don't want Dipper in here anymore, I want mom._

As she tiptoed closer to the ghost, she recalled her mother comforting her after she skinned her knee on her first bike ride, after being criticized for her fashion sense, after being scared out of her wits by the ghost of an axe murderer. Her mother had always been there, always able to produce some kind words in that soothing voice of hers. _Until she hadn't._

Pacifica wrapped her arms around the golem's waist, and cried into the false dress. Sensing the mental pictures of her mother stroking her flaxen locks, the servant mirrored those actions and released small shushing sounds as the blonde shuddered against it.

**-+=^0^=+-**

_(In Reverse falls)_

Wendy opened her eyes and found herself lying on a worn mattress, a rusty spring escaping the bed and poking into her ankle.

Upon sitting up and pacing a hand to her head, she found that bandages had been wrapped around her head and her stomach. Crawling out of bed, she stumbled through the dark and horribly familiar halls, following the sounds and flashes of light to the basement stairs. Clinging to the banister, she descended the stairs to find someone pressing buttons on the control panel of a large and chaotic machine. At first she thought it was Old Man Gleeful, once again confusing the monster for her savior. But as her mind grew less groggy she recognized the clothes as Stanley's and called out to him over the roar of the machine. "What…what the hell is that thing?!" He turned towards her, and gestured for her to hold on tightly, just in time to cling to the control panel as a wave of energy filled the house. When the anti-gravity had finally receded, the old man joined her at the bottom of the stairs and removed his goggles.

"I'm opening a portal to take myself home. This machine leads to a dimension where I should be able to open a portal to my world." He wiped his forehead, and Wendy watched the green liquid melt into his skin. "Oh…" She was unsure what to think, having never dealt with this type of situation before (no one had to be fair). She felt a strange compulsion to help this old man, after all, if his story was to be believed, he had a brother waiting for him and the last thirty years of his life were living hell.

"Well umm, thanks for saving me from Gleeful and patching me up I guess…good luck." He smiled slightly, clearly impressed by her actions under pressure. "I was just returning the favor." He winked and shook her hand, before turning back to his work as she mounted the splintery stairs. Just as she reached the top and considered how she would explain the murders to her father, a horrifyingly familiar rang through the shack.

"WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU TWO, I'M GOANNA MAKE MINCEMEAT OUT OF YOU!" _How the hell did he survive? _Darting back down the stairs, she grabbed Stanley's arm as he was stepping into the portal and leapt inside. Blinded by the white and blue madness, she felt the man grab her waist and dart into the void below upon realizing who was behind them and most likely armed.

**-+=^0^=+-**

Mabel lay awake in her bed, feeling a strange energy course through her body. For some reason she was feeling particularly unwell, and was having trouble falling asleep despite the hectic day.

Deciding to visit the bathroom one last time, she climbed out of bed and crossed the cold boards, entering the darkness of the hall silently. Opening the bathroom door, Mabel relieved herself and splashed some water on her face, before staring intently at her reflection. For a moment it almost seemed like her duplicate was glaring at her, and was covered in red. But then Mabel rubbed her eyes, and was staring back at an exhausted and vaguely frightened pre-teen. _I'm not her. _

The thought popped in, no conscious will to think about her counterpart. Like a weed, the idea that she and the _other _Mabel hadn't been so different sprouted up from between the cracks in the orderly concrete and grew insidiously. It was almost as scary as the idea that her brother and _his _counterpart weren't very different. _Why us? Everyone else is slightly different. Robert isn't THAT different from Robbie, and Gid is just the good brought out of Gideon. But me and Dipper…we were so different. _The weed popped up again, filling her mind with agonizing paranoia. _Or were you?_

Optimism won out when an unshakable argument arose in her mind. _She wouldn't think we are similar, she wouldn't worry about it. _Smiling defiantly at her reflection, she flicked off the light and entered the hall in time to see something hiss and dart down the stairs. Her eyes widening, she rushed to the stair case and stared down into the darkness. _Nothing, it was just a trick of the eye. _Her heart slowed, and she felt relief in her own jumpiness. Nonetheless, she waited two more minutes before returning to her bed.

Glancing over at her injured brother, she watched his chest rise and fall, taking some solace in the fact that he was in the room, to be awoken and help should something horrible happen. _Together we can face anything, no matter how spooky. _The memory of Dipper's remorse returned to her and she frowned, hating to think about how unhappy he had been when he thought her dead. _He was ready to do anything for you…_

Glancing back at her twin, she resigned herself to inform him about her new and randomly set off, explosive power. _First thing tomorrow morning._

* * *

**_I apologize for the slow update, I promise to work faster on the next chapter. I was busy continuing other stories._**


	8. The dam breaks & the drownings begin

**8**

Dipper Gleeful lay in a cage, wearing merely a loincloth his exposed skin was marred by dozens of cuts and bruises, all the result of the torture his captors had inflicted. He had almost lost all hope of ever seeing the light of day again, when the door that resided atop the creaky stairs opened. A crack of light entered the chamber, and a small form descended the stairs with a lantern in hand.

The half-starved tween raised his head, and glared at the hooded figure. "You can do as you like, but you won't be able to get me to surrender…" The person removed a key from their pocket, and to his astonishment, unlocked the cage. Bewildered, Dipper sat up, his shackles clinking against the bars which made up the bottom of the cage. The person stepped inside and began unlocking his restraints, the pre-teen growing extremely suspicious, per his untrusting nature.

"Who are you? _What do you want?!" _The person stared at him for a moment, and then removed her hood. Dipper stare incredulously, and she smiled slightly at his expression. "What, did you think I was going to leave you here?" She placed her hands of her his as she began picking the lock to his shackles. His savior grew silent when her hand grazed his muscular yet frail form. Her eyes lingered on his scars as he recovered and managed to form a sentence. "Mabel…you…you need to go."

She rolled her eyes, "No way. I'm not leaving you here to rot, end of discussion." The first shackle broke, and she started on his leggings. A look of panic crossed his face, and he was about to plead with her to run, when the door at the top of the stairs opened. Mabel's head shot back towards it, her eye's as wide as a doe. The man's face was disguised by shadow, but from his movements, it was clear that his intent was malevolent. Snapping his fingers, he moved to the side as an ape tore down the stairs, and grabbed Mabel by the hair.

She cried out as the chimp screeched, and Dipper tried to grab her hand. The beast punched him hard in the gut, and he doubled over, forced to watch as his screaming sister was dragged up the stair case. The faceless man kicked her in the side, and closed the door the moment that she was out, drowning the room in darkness.

Dipper awoke with tears stinging his eyes. Groaning, he rolled out of bed, wiped his eyes with the rotting blanket, and opened the paper bag beside his bed. Opening it, he stuffed two restoration mushrooms down his throat, feeling euphoria eclipse his grief as the fungi was gnashed between his teeth. The world wavered with neon yellow and blue, the broken fan above turning into a lunatic's merry-go-round as he stumbled backwards and collapsed on the bed. A vacant grin crossed his features, and he grabbed his neatly folded clothes, all respect for perfection gone out the window with his new ecstasy. He hadn't killed anyone in _far _too long.

This was going to be fun.

**-+=^0^=+-**

Wendy opened her eyes, and found herself lying on the couch. The immediate thought that struck her was that her awful experience and pain had all been a dream, perhaps magnified by her hangover. It would have been wonderful if that was so, if she could wake up to a new day where she could make up with Dipper, and everything would be fine.

Except her clothes were stained with dirt and muck, there was a bitter taste on her tongue, and most obvious, the room was filled the darkness of an early morning. Groaning, she had sat up, and almost jumped out of her seat when the lights flicked on and she saw who was sitting in the armchair nearby and glaring at her piercingly. "Dad I-what time is it? And how did I get-" Standing, he gestured towards the cuckoo clock but otherwise left her questions unanswered, and crossed to the kitchen with an unwavering frown. Stumbling over to the clock, she realized that he must have given her a proper splint, and rolled up the blinds, allowing a little extra blue dawn light into the room.

Trying to focus on the clock, she was unable to tell the exact time, her vision kept blurring horribly. But she was quite sure that it was five or six. Groaning, she turned to where her father was making waffles, realizing that he must have been waiting for her to awaken as she sat back down. She was about to repeat herself, when the lumberjack spoke. "Sam found you on the road, and he called me after taking you to the nearest gas station." Sam was one of her father's co-workers, a fellow that had visited frequently when her mother was alive, but started coming around less after the funeral. She used to look forward to his visits like they were Christmas, but realized just now that she hadn't thought about him in years.

"The doctor checked you…and you were mostly fine. He said we shouldn't wake you, and gave me some pain killers for your leg." Wendy glanced around and spied the tiny capsule that sat on the table behind the sofa. She pocketed it as her guardian posed a question, "Would you like to explain what you were doing in a ditch by the road, with a broken leg?" The redhead shifted uncomfortably in her seat, as he continued. "Mr. Pines also said that you never showed up for work." Wendy sighed and scratched the back of her neck lightly.

"Listen, it didn't have anything to do with alcohol or drugs in case you were worried-" "Well then _what was it?" _Wendy found herself at a loss for words. _A demon possessed my body to fulfill his end of the bargain, and did who knows what with it. But don't worry dad, I only made the deal because a psychotic twelve year old who happened to be an inter-dimensional doppelgänger of a friend, stabbed me, and the world was going to end if I didn't free my friends. _She half considered actually saying it merely for the shock value.

"It's complicated."

He shook his head, shame beginning to flush within Wendy. Passing her, he deposited a plate of waffles onto her lap, speaking as he climbed the stairs to rouse her brothers. "I would say that your grounded, but you aren't really going anywhere with that leg." She knew that she often annoyed him with her lay about tendencies, but seeing her father disappointed in her had always made her feel extremely uncomfortable, and usually she would do anything to get back in with his good graces.

The plate sat in her lap, but despite the hunger she had felt moments ago, she didn't think she could stomach it now.

**-+=VIGENERE^0^CIPHER=+-**

Dipper Pines checked himself in the mirror. He hadn't ever been nervous about how he looked in front of Pacifica before, but everything was decidedly different now. He had even considered wearing something besides his regular attire, but didn't really have any better clothes. So he put on the freshest tee shirt and shorts, and marched down the stairs.

Mabel was sitting at the table, trying to engage Paz in a conversation. The blonde was stirring her cereal disinterestedly, and glanced up at him upon his entrance. A bit of emotion flashed across her face, but then she continued her meaningless stare at the milk. Dipper swallowed with some difficulty, and addressed his sister. "Mabel, in case something happens or you guys find anything about the portal…I will be at the Northwest mansion." She nodded glumly, clearly depressed by the tension in the room. Pacifica sped up her stirring, and Dipper thought he heard her mumble something beneath her breath.

Mabel winced at this action, and Waddles moved away from the blonde's chair, clearly disturbed by her grumbling. Dipper sighed and turned towards the door way, taking one last glance back at Paz and becoming petrified by what he saw. A huge, black skinned creature, a little smaller than a lynx, hung from the ceiling, its spiky tail swinging back and forth behind the unsuspecting tweens. Paz noticed his expression and raised an eyebrow, "What? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Happy that the two were at least conversing, Mabel spoke with small smile. "Yeah bro, what's the prob?" The creature realized that he could see it, and Dipper found himself at a loss for breath. Raising a trembling finger, he pointed as the monster opened its mouth and acidic slime dribbled out, and burned into the table. The hissing attracted the attention of the two pre-teen girls, and they both grew looks of horror to rival his own.

Waddles ran out of the room as the monster pounced onto the table, scattering the boxes of cereal, and causing Mabel to fall over in her seat. The beast hissed, and leaped on top of her, its claws extracting whimpers and protests out of her. Dipper tried to pull it off, but it merely whipped its tail out, and sent him crashing into the wall. Pacifica tried to beat it with a chair, but it kicked her backwards and dragged the struggling Mabel out the window.

Dipper scrambled to his feet, helping the thankful Paz to her feet, before darting towards the front door. "C'mon! It's headed for the woods!"

**-+=^0^=+-**

Stan lifted a crossbeam, and Fiddleford helped him slide it into place.

"I gotta tell ya' Fiddy," Wiping sweat from his brow, he stepped back to admire their work. "I never get tired of lookin' at this thing." Twin pillars of energy rose on either side of the metal triangle. The control panel had been redesigned, and was now inside a more heavily protected control area, which was essentially an iron box. They had hauled scrap in from McGucket's yard, and the shorter man had been afraid that Stan's wounds get re-opened by strenuous work. The con man had shrugged it off, unwilling to let the weaker man do all the work. And it turned out, that his wounds had almost entirely disappeared overnight.

The portal looked a little strange with the pieces of rusty and discarded metal all over it, but Stan liked the rough charm that the machine exuded. His excitement at finally being able to get his brother back as well, far overpowered how ugly the machine looked. "So will this baby be ready by tomorrow?" McGucket licked his dry lips, "Actually, she's ready to start now…there will be a twelve hour waiting period in which the portal gears up…as I'm sure your aware." He nodded, the extra hours appearing insignificant compared to the completion of a plan that was thirty years in the making.

"Well what are we waiting for?" The genius smiled and climbed into the control panel. "Alrighty, so how am I gonna contact you if somethin' goes ary?" Stan puzzled this for a moment, before lighting up. He darted over to a box that had survived the explosion, and immediately began rummaging around through it. "Do you want me to send a pigeon your way? Or maybe a flare?" The bearded inventor slapped his forehead as a new means of communication came to mind. "I've got it, I'll make a special noise? Like AWKA! AWKA! AWK-" Stan rolled his eyes as he returned with three objects. "Or we could just use these…" He handed Fiddleford a walkie-talkie labeled "Nerd" and pocketed his own. The third device lingered in his left hand, and McGucket sighed upon seeing it.

"That was his correct?" Stan nodded solemnly, and McGucket gently took it from him, inspecting the big black "LEE" written on the back of it. "He was a great man wasn't he?" Stan's eyes began to shine and he spoke with a tightened throat. "He was…" Stan raised his gaze, and McGucket watched him wipe tears from his eyes. "He still is…"

A memory was triggered, and he was crouching behind a wall, speaking to "Lee" through his walkie-talkie as a giant bat crawled closer and sniffed the air. The creature extended a claw around the wall, and gripped his shoulder. He cried out and its face came extremely close to his one, it horrible breath causing him to gag as it revealed its massive fangs. Then Stan leapt out and tackled it to the ground. "Take this you big eared freak!" He pounded his fists against the bat, and it squealed, raking its claws against his arms as it struggled to get out from under him.

A man who looked incredibly similar to Stan ran over and injected the vicious creature with it, watching as it fell scratched a little bit longer, before falling unconscious. Stan stood, and Fiddleford gave him a shy smile. "Thanks I…I really owe you one." The larger man smiled back, "You can help patch me up when we get back to the den, Nerd." He remembered feeling elated with the knowledge that Stanford didn't actually hate him. He remembered that this was the first time their relationship had become more centered to companionship rather than animosity.

Stan gave his brother a fist bump, and they both turned towards the cave entrance, with Lee pulling the bat in a net. Fiddleford picked up the other side and Lee thanked him for his help. "See Fid? I told you that you would do great in the field!" Fiddleford remembered Stan not wanting him to help, claiming that he was too "Geeky" and then labeling his walkie-talkie "NERD" to prove his point. _But I led us here, I figured out how to track this thing down. _The memory inside a memory was even fuzzier but it led to a number of memories about interviewing the townsfolk to see if anyone knew where the giant bat responsible for carrying off cats and dogs.

His conscious snapped back into place like a rubber band, and he found Stan staring at him with a broken look. "You just had a memory of him didn't you?" McGucket nodded, and stepped forward, embracing the taller man, much to Stanford's surprise. The curmudgeon coughed, awkwardly, and glanced around to make sure there weren't any hikers. "Ah what the hell!" Giving Fiddleford a bear hug, he raised the shorter man off the ground and nearly squeezed all his breath out.

Setting him back on two feet, Stan opened the door to the control room. "C'mon Fiddy, let's blow this Popsicle stand."

**-+=^0^K=+-**

"Dipper! You're early…" The investigator looked surprised, "Early?" Pacifica frowned, "Early for our talk…about your dreams…remember?" She was slightly disturbed by his forgetfulness. _What did he come over here for if he forgot about our talk? _A reassuring smile crossed Dipper's face, "Gotchya." She rolled her eyes playfully, "Well don't quit your day job Pines, I've met mimes who were better at comedy."

He chuckled, and she looked him up and down. He was wearing a tuxedo, much like the one he had been on the night of the ball. For the first time in her life, she felt underdressed in her plain white shorts and purple tee. Simultaneously, she felt jubilant that he had dressed up to impress her. "Are you gonna let me in? Or is this whole thing going to take place on your…" He glanced around, "Rather exquisite front porch." Moving aside, she let him in with a tiny giggle. He inspected the massive front hall with an impressed smile, as if picturing himself owning a similar estate at one point in his life.

She asked if he wanted any brunch as she led him out of the front hall and through the downstairs kitchen. "We have a Mongolian chef fries some awesome mutton." He shook his head lightly, inspecting the kitchen as he spoke. "No thanks. I had mutton for brunch yesterday." She giggled and led him into the hall on the other side and down to the drawing room.

Upon reaching her destination, she motioned for him to sit down beside her on the ruby lounge chair. "Are you sure you don't want me to lie down here while you play psychiatrist from that chair?" She rolled her eyes once again, "Okay, quit it with the sarcasm…" The blonde focused on the bags beneath his eyes and spoke with the realization. "You had another nightmare didn't you?" Dipper sighed at the rhetorical question, and turned his attention to the fireplace. He watched the synthetic fire dance as he spoke, his pupils dilating as he accessed the memory.

"I was in a cage, being tortured for some piece of information that I could never give." She noticed how difficult it was for him to swallow and saw something flicker in his mesmerizing eyes. _Have his eyes always look that way? _They seemed to burn with might and desire, and then smolder in remorse. She even thought she could see a turquoise center to them, which she didn't even know was possible.

"I told her to leave…but she wouldn't…" Pacifica realized that she hadn't been listening, and cursed under her breath. _ He's here because he needs your help, not so that you can send him googly eyes. _She would have considered that kind of behavior something that even the OLD Pacifica would have considered idiotic. Not wanting her crush to see how flushed she was, or worse yet, catch her staring, she focused on the fire as well. "And the man…the man without a face he…" Dipper faltered, and she placed a hand on his without looking. His hand was clammy and shaking, if asked she would compare the texture to a dry slug.

"He snapped his fingers…and this…this big brutish ape…with _gnashing teeth, _and _terrible claws_…it…it dragged her away." She squeezed his hand as he began to shudder, and felt like self-flagellation was a good option for repentance at the moment. Here he was crying, right beside her, and she didn't even know who, out of the myriad of girls he knew, got taken from him in this dream. Why? Because she had been too busy being the blonde ditz that she hated to be called. _Well he said "her" so it can't be you. _She pushed away the envious and possessive thought as she heard what he was muttering. _"Mabel…I'm so sorry…I'm so…so…" _

Realizing that he was still fearing for the life of his twin, she attempted to reassure him. "I told you yesterday…nothing is going to happen to Mabel…" He raised his head, staring at her with a face that seemed smaller and thinner than it should be. Then he turned his gaze to the carpet, whispering something cruel to himself, as if he should be punished for crying. Placing a hand on top of his, she spoke with crawling voice.

"Please don't cry…you…you would never let anything happen to her…I know it." He looked up at her, with a broken face. Unable to utter a word, he merely clasped his hands around her, and pressed his face against her shoulder. She patted his back lightly, and felt him grip her hair in anguish. She had never experienced a death in the family, but she knew that she wouldn't cry for any of her relatives. They were all awful and manipulative people. Her father and mother were quite possibly the worst people she had ever met, and would. Her uncle lobbied governors, and her cousin stripped South Africa of its resources, in disturbingly similar fashion to Leopold the Second.

She didn't have a sibling, apparently her parents thought brain washing one child was difficult enough. But even if she did have a brother or a sister like Mabel, an extraordinary person who lit up your life, Dipper was acting as if she was already dead. As if he had already lost. Gently pushing him away, she looked him in the eyes, trying not to focus on their magnetism. "You are Dipper Pines…like I said yesterday, you can handle anything. You wouldn't let anything happen to her, and even if something did…" He wiped his face with a handkerchief, which was surprisingly sophisticated for him. "…you would get her back, no matter what." That set a grin in motion, and he laughed, brushing the tears away and stuffing the handkerchief into his pocket as he hugged her again.

This time he was less desperate, and he whispered thank you in her ear as his body warmth mixed with hers. He smelled kind of strange, like the upstairs attic that she wasn't allowed access to, musty and ancient. But she enjoyed it nonetheless, feeling her cheeks heat at how close they were. _Has he been working out? _She could feel muscles through his tux, more than she remembered him having, and tried not to think about how it felt to have his arms wrapped around her. So she was a tad disappointed when he finally let go, and gave her a bright smile. "I don't know what I'd do without you Paz," She didn't like the nickname, but smiled back, finding his happiness extremely infectious. "I'm sure that you would just-" He cut her off by leaning forward, and pressing his lips to hers.

Her heart beat like a drum, as he kissed her with more experience than she thought possible. The investigator transitioned simultaneously between gentle to passionate, and one hand tangled with her hair, as the other pushed against her back lightly. It seemed that he was desperate to bring her even closer to him, and she wasn't complaining. This was after all, her first kiss.

The blonde's not so secret crush pulled away, leaving her gasping for breath as he stroked the side of her head with tender love. "God…you are beautiful…" Her face somehow turned red, and for once in her life, she found herself at a loss for words. He removed something glinting from his pocket, "I know a way to make you look even better…"

The knife dove into her side, and he grinned sadistically as pain ripped through her.

**-+=E^0^=+-**

Wendy stared into the depths of her reflection.

"You're always watching…that's what you said…so come out and explain this all to me…" She had turned the overhead light bulb off, and was using candles to light the room, figuring that candles were always used when people summoned demons. Her request however, was met with silence, and she sighed.

The redhead was about to dump the candles in the garbage and call Dipper (Bill had forbidden her from explaining, but she could get some advice for a vague problem, and explain her absence), when the candles all went out at once. Plunged into darkness, the ginger removed the matches from her pocket, and struck one, glancing around the bathroom for her demonic benefactor.

_^HEY RED! Great work yesterday, I couldn't have mauled better myself.^ _She turned and clutched her beating heart as his yellow form extended out of the mirror once more. "What do you mean?" Her question was met with a smug chuckle, and the cyclops flew around her, placing an incorporeal hand on her shoulder. _^Well you can't shoot people, if you can't buy it for low, low prices at your nearest shop. Therefor I can't maul, if I can't touch people.^ _He tapped on her head, his fingers bobbing through her brain matter.

_^You're not very smart are ya'?^ _Stepping away from him, she glared at the immaterial being. "Just tell me what you did to me?" He rolled his eye, and pointed his cane in her direction. _^You're proving my point Red…^ _"JUST TELL ME!" Her nerves fried, she let out her frustration and distress in the shout, and accidentally caused her matchstick to go out. Bill was quite luminescent in the dark, but she fumbled with a match anyway.

_^You answer first; what is your younger brother's favorite type of movies?^ _Wendy scowled at him as she struck the match, "Werewolf movies but what does that…" Her eyes widened, and Bill grew a smug air. _^Did you finally use that big grey organ that so many humans choose not to Red?^ _Wendy gulped, "You…you turned me into a werewolf!" _^Not a werewolf per say…but essentially, yes.^ _Wendy gripped her hair, stunned by this disturbing revelation. A horrifying thought struck the teen, and she turned back to the surveyor with distraught look.

"Did I…yesterday…and last night…did I kill anyone?" Bill shook his lack thereof a head. _^Nah, even as a wendigo your lame. You just but a few people in the hospital, and attacked the people that I wanted you to.^ _Wendy leaned on the counter for support, pain spiraling through her leg. _^I know…it's a lot to take in…however, you have somewhere to be IceBag.^ _Wendy shook her head, "I'm not going any-" Bill snapped his fingers and energy coursed through the redhead, forcing her to fall to her knees and scream in agony as the world went black around her.

**-+=^0^Y=+-**

_(Reverse Falls)_

Stanford smiled as the portal finally rebooted fully, and the portal re-opened. _I gotta say Stanley, you deserved it when I literally backstabbed you…but you sure knew how to design perfection. _Stan smiled to himself, and stepped closer to the whirling circle of celestial energy. The lifeblood of the multiverse was right in front of him.

It was like staring into the face of God.

Of course Stanford only worshipped the old gods, and only when their powers were useful.

Checking to make sure that he had everything, the madman clutched the crowbar at his side. His wounds had all been patched up, and he had taken several ounces of restoration mushrooms, which he hadn't taken in years due to their addictive nature. With several excruciating injuries however, he had been given little choice. _When I get my hands on that teenage bitch, she's gonna think of that ax to the thigh as a walk in the park._

Police sirens echoed above, and he stepped closer, one hand grazing the portal, while the other held the remote to detonate the machine. He knew that there was no coming back, with the police after him. One doesn't after all, kill two men and walk away Scott free. _There is a price to everything. _Remembering the mantra, he speculated about how different the other universe would be. _It doesn't matter, all that matters is that the Heart of the Universe is there. _

Stabbing a muscular arm into the fray, Stan clicked the button as he stepped into the portal and felt gravity reverse. A shattering blast destroyed the machine behind him, and he smiled at the thought that the idiot cops would probably be blown to bits.

**-+=^0^=+-**

Dipper tore after the beast, his breath ragged as he approached it. Even with the incentive of his sister's screams, he was unable to continue on foot. He fell to the ground, his legs aching as the monster sprinted further and further out of view, with every painful moment.

Paz caught up with him, and tried to help him up, but she too was breathless, and almost staggering from light-headedness. She looked ready fall down beside him, and Dipper fel the horrible choke of desperation grip his heart. _He was going to lose her._

Then a golf cart pulled up right beside them, and Gid beckoned them on board. "C'mon, we gotta go!" They climbed on, and he geared up the cart, zipping towards the faceless kidnapper at the maximum speed. Paz asked how he knew what happened, and Gid explained as he closed in on the creature. "I was in the attic, helping Robert set up spell to help us contact our Bill, and I glanced out the window to see a monster run off with Mabel and you guys follow. So I ran around the back and started the cart." The gold cart bumped and wobbled over the larger stones as he continued.

"Robert was out getting materials, so I didn't get to tell hi-" The massive beast from yesterday crashed out of the pines behind them, and charged towards their lightly speeding craft. Dipper stared at the beast incredulously, wondering if he had pissed off any gods recently.

The snarling behemoth behind them had retained the wound caused Pacifica's limo, but was still able to come close enough that its awful breath nearly drove tears out of his eyes. Paz picked up rake that was sitting in the back of golf cart and swung it at the beast, clawing its nose. Roaring, the beast responded with a swipe to the cart, which sent them spinning out of control and careening into the inter-dimensional kidnapper ahead.

Dipper went flying out of the cart upon impact, and crashed into a thick pine. The world began to become blurry as the two monsters squared off against one another.

**-+=^0^=+-**

"I can't believe how easy that was…I suppose it shouldn't be that hard to believe. You rich girls are all the same…"

Pacifica crawled away from him as he spoke, one hand tugging at the carpet whereas the other was pressed against her wound. The blood had both seeped into her tee shirt, staining the purple darker than usual, and causing the emerald carpet to turn brown.

"I must say…you fall exceptionally well for the sob act…" He stepped closer as she grabbed the edge of the lounge chair and pulled herself upright. "Let me guess…you're the crazy version of Dipper from another dimension." She tried to keep the stinging tears from escaping, but his widening grin and the slow roll of salty water indicated that she had failed.

"Bingo. Your pretty smart for a floozy, I expected you to be all _"Dipper my love, why did you stab me?" _but instead you jump to the best conclusion." He tossed the knife up and down in the air with one hand, while fingering his amulet with the other. "Let it never be said that I wasn't sportsman like…I'll give you five seconds to escape…" She stumbled out of the drawing room as his counting began.

"5…"

She clutched her stab mark and bit her lip as she darted towards the kitchen. "4…" The pain forced her to stop by the counter, and gasp for breath. _You have to keep moving, you have to keep moving. _She winced as he continued his counting, and grabbed a knife out of the cabinet for defense. Memories of Dipper's description, noting how brutal and cruel his counterpart was, came rushing to mind, and somehow forced more panic into her. "3…"

Turning into the hall, she bolted towards the front door, and would have made it if not for the small step where the side hall ended and led into the grand entrance. _Dammit! _Pain wrenched through the blonde as her body slid across the spotless redwood planks. _You HAVE to keep moving. _Pacifica heaved for breath, now winded. "2…"

Crawling towards the exit, the hand that kept pressure upon her laceration now engulfed in blood, it became a bloody five legged spider. She had stuffed part of her shirt in her mouth to stop from screaming, and was forced to pull her whole form across the squeaky clean floor with one pale hand.

"1…"

Gripping the silver door knob, she tried her best to open in from her lying position, and more tears were forced out of her from despair and frustration. Footsteps could be heard behind her, and she wished that she had not tricked her parents into leaving the house for the day. But she had known that they despised Dipper and would not have let him in. It wouldn't be so bad if they didn't insist on bringing the butler with them.

The door creaked open, and natural light flooded the opulent hall, providing means of escape and salvation. She could taste the air, and could phone for help once she hid in the hedges outside. The real Dipper would come to save her. _Unless he's already dead. _

That thought caused her to hesitate, and subsequently doom her.

A hand clamped down on her leg and dragged her kicking and screaming, back into the house. "0..."

**-+=^0^=+-**

The carving knife plunged into flesh, and his victim mewled and kicked beneath its cutting edge.

Robert sighed, and apologized to the goat as he drove the knife even deeper, merely wanting this grotesque display to end. Finally, his sacrifice was complete, and he dropped the corpse of Gompers into the center of the pentagram.

The ancient sigils glowed underneath the metallic red, and a shining ball of energy slowly fizzled into being and lit up the darkened room.

_#Hey Robbie, what's up?#_

Robert sighed at the nick name, "Bill…we need your help." The rectangle rolled his eye, _#Really? Because you guys were doing SO WELL on your own…# _Robert ignored his sarcasm, "We can't figure out a way to get back home, Dipper Gleeful has teamed up with some lunatic here, and there is a giant monster on the loose that almost killed us."

Bill nodded knowingly, _#Listen Rob, I can't really do anything from-# _Robert grew a pleading look, "Please. We NEED your help. I'm willing to do anything." The dream demon sighed and glanced at the dead goat.

_#Well, there is one thing that you could do…#_

**-+=^0^=+-**

Gid watched from the sidelines as Mabel tried to avoid being crumpled by the blows that the two monster's exchanged. The wolf headed one slashed the xenomorph-esque beast with crushing claws that tore through its blackish purplish skin and caused its greenish bluish blood to splatter across the dirt.

The smaller and faster of the two, its eyeless foe battered the berserk beast with a fury of punches, releasing blows with five hands and shielding its prisoner from harm with the sixth. Caught between the titans, Mabel was distressed not just as a result of her current position, but also because her brother was lying next to a tree nearby, unconscious. She tried to scramble out of the inter-dimensional creature's grip, but its seven fingered hand just tightened around her.

Glancing around, he noticed Paz beside the crashed golf cart. A plan began to form in his calculative mind, but it remained far too dangerous for him to usually deem acceptable. He was the only person free and conscious however, and things were moving much too fast for him to wait around and come up with a better strategy.

He dashed to the side of the blonde, and pulled her arm over his shoulder. She was covered in bruises, with a torn up knee, and a swollen eye. She moaned as he heaved her to her feet, and murmured something as he pulled her behind a tree. Tenderly setting her down, he bit his lip, before promising her unconscious form that he would be back soon.

Wiping sweat from his bark sprinkled brow, he rushed back to the wreck and pushed it towards the beasts. Grabbing the half-splintered pole that was once a part of the rake, he called out to the trapped brunette.

"MABEL! GET READY TO JUMP!" The pre-teen nodded, and squirmed between two fingers as the monster's continued duking it out. Gideon inhaled deeply, before taking a step back and launching his makeshift javelin into the larger monster's thigh. The beast roared and he ducked out of the way as it tried to strike him. The smaller beast saw its opportunity and charged the giant bear-wolf from the side. Mabel took her chance, and Gideon scrambled over to catch her as she wiggled free during the charge.

Mabel hit him like a cannon ball, and they fell in a heap. With his vision focused on the sky, he was unable to bear witness to the explosion of the two creature's converging on top of the golf cart. But he could feel the heat and hear the subsequent screeches of the burning monsters.

* * *

_**"Yrji slo gyx ivswr. **_

_**Cs rriw clyvp qdepd xm pejv."**_

_**Things are about to get really dark, you have been warned. **_


	9. The day of the half-dead

**9**

_I see the children in the rain like the parade before the pain._

_I see the love; I see the hate; I see this world that we can make!_  
_I see the life I see the sky. Give it all to see you fly..._  
_Yes, we wave this flag of hatred, but you're the ones who made it!_  
_Watch the beauty of all our lies passing right before my eyes._  
_I hear the hate in all your words all the wars to make us hurt_  
_We get so sick, we're so sick; we never wanted all this_  
_Medication for the kids with no reason to live!_

_So we_  
_March to the drums of the damned as we come_  
_Watch it burn in the sun - we are numb! _

_We are young!_  
_But we have heart_  
_Born in this world as it all falls apart_  
_We are strong_  
_But we don't belong_

_Born in this world as it all falls apart! ~Young, _Hollywood Undead

* * *

Dipper awoke with a pounding in his head, one to rival that of the collision of continents or the work of an insane drummer boy.

Glancing around the darkened room, he struggled to re-call how he had reached this situation. The pre-teen ran a hand through his hair but stopped short when he felt something sticky and hot. Putting his hand to his nose he sniffed in the liquid, and held back a groan upon detecting trace amounts of iron. _What the hell happened to me?_

He slipped out of the unfamiliar bed, and stumbled over to the window, yanking up the blinds to see that it was already past dusk. The last thing he remembered was noon, which meant he had been unconscious for a decidedly lengthy amount of time. He grappled with his brain for recollection of the past 24 hours, and the pounding increased exponentially. _There was a monster…and Gid in the golf cart…and the monster from yesterday…and then- _Panic struck the tween as he wondered what fate had befallen both his sister and noble companions.

Clutching his throbbing skull, he limped towards the door. The feel of cold carpet beneath his feet and shape of the cubical room assured him that he was in unknown territory, and heightened his anxiety.

His fingers closed around the door knob, and he was blinded by piercing light. For a moment he wondered if he had died and this was some synthetic heaven, complete with a florescent lighting and too clean hallways. Such thoughts were cast aside when the tween's eyes adjusted and Dipper realized that he was in a depressingly familiar location.

The hospital.

Glancing to the side, he saw Gideon pacing back and forth. The white haired boy turned towards him and his face lit up. He sped over to the investigator, arriving just in time to keep him from collapsing across the floor. Dipper tried to ask what had happened, but his younger companion insisted on returning him to bed before revealing the truth.

Once the pre-teen was back in the cot, and Gideon's general neurotic nature had been appeased, the nine year old began to shed some light on the foggy situation. By the end of his story, Dipper was simultaneously impressed with the abilities of his friend and his sister, whilst also being quite distressed as to the condition of Paz and Mabel.

"Well Mabel went to try and find Stan…she wasn't that bruised and he was responding to any calls…" Dipper sat up. "YOU LET HER GO ALONE?" Gid raised his arms in an attempt to calm his dismayed companion, and moved around the bed calmly. "She instructed me to wait for you, and I wasn't going to leave Paz alone in here…anyway I-" The pre-teen looked ready to tear out half of his hair, and grabbed Gideon's collar. "But there could be more of those monsters! You said the explosion only killed one anyway, what if it's recovered by now? What if whatever summoned those things is still after her-?"

Gid placed his hands on the older boy's upper arms, and lightly pushed him back into a lying position. "I sent Robert with her," Dipper tried to speak up, but his caretaker raised a hand. "And I left Soos in charge." It was clear that, despite the fact that he had saved their lives a little over two weeks ago, Gideon didn't trust the handyman. But he knew that Dipper would, and was willing to bury his nervousness in exchange for the reassurance of another.

"Ok, but could you…could you call the Northwest mansion, tell Pacifica…this world's Pacifica, that I'm fine, and we can talk tomorrow morning?" The shorter boy nodded dutifully, and was going to turn away, when Dipper grasped his wrist in an impulse decision. "Gid I…" he glanced at the floor, regretting the attempt to show affection. "I want to thank you for all of this, I should have trusted you earlier. If I had acknowledged how great you are in a moment of panic…I wouldn't have made myself nearly as miserable…"

His grip on Gideon's wrist disappeared, and he turned his attention to the white sheets which covered his bruised knees. "And I'm sorry if I came between you and Paz…I didn't mean to, and honestly you probably know more about girls than I do." He raised his gaze and locked eyes with his savior, "I knew how much you liked her, and if I was you I probably would have hated me for messing around with her feelings. I promise to be more empathetic next time." Gideon stared at him stoically, and Dipper was prepared for some long withheld beratement, or passive-aggressive acceptance.

Instead Gideon gave him a small smile, a "Don't beat yourself up about it." and the nine year old turned away to wipe the slightest wetness from his eye. The white haired boy passed Paz on the way out, and the lightly injured blonde gave both of them a smile, before climbing onto the bottom of Dipper's bed. He grinned nervously, and scratched the back of his throat. "I guess you heard that huh?"

She smirked, "Yeah…you know you're not making this easier by being so sensitive." Smiling at her humor, he characterized himself. "Well I can see WHY, you would be so attracted to me, I know that I'm quite the CATCH!" She giggled, and he removed his right hand from the Napoleon position. A serious look overcame his face, and he sighed. "Paz I…" Gideon staggered into the room, and drew their attention with a petrified look. Worry crossed the blonde's face and she slipped off the bed, "Gid, what's wrong?" Dipper felt a sinking feeling, his conscious producing the answer before it stained the air with putrid reality.

"Pacifica…she was killed."

**-+=^0^=+-**

Mabel glanced at the circling clouds and outstretched a hand. Sensing no drizzle, she continued on the forest path, all the while wondering why Stan had driven in this direction. _I don't think there is anything out here, besides that mountain that Evil-dee and Evil-dum used. _Mabel liked that joke so much, that she decided to share it with Robert. But after glancing at the librarian, who was currently thumbing through a book and murmuring something about sacrifices to himself, she decided that it would be in bad taste.

_What's the rule about making fun of people who are also you? Or making fun of people who are evil but dead? _Sighing, she glanced around, a shiver running up her spine as the all too familiar feeling of being watched insinuated itself in her active mind. "Hey Robert…do you ever get the feeling of being watched?" The blue-sweater-vest-wearer shrugged, and mentioned that he "usually did the watching." Mabel didn't know what that meant, but it added significantly to the eerie atmosphere.

"I don't think he's out here…we should turn ba-" Mabel had been focusing on her fellow hiker, and tripped on a large branch, crying out as she struck the ground. Robert looked up from his book, and his eyes widened. "Oh no…" Mabel clutched her skinned knee and staggered to her feet. "I'm okay…you don't have to-" She realized that he was staring past her, and turned with growing dread.

Wendy Corduroy lay in a ditch beside the road. But she was barely recognizable with her skin covered in ash, blood, and dirt. Her hair was tangled with weeds and needles, and a bunch of it was missing, torn out judging by her blood covered scalp. There was a large and gory hole in her shoulder, and bruises littered her body. Mabel clutched her stomach at the sight, and stumbled away from the body. Some of the terror disintegrated as she noticed the slowly rising and falling chest, and she exhaled upon the realization that she was not looking at a corpse.

Robert ran over to the body, picking her up with a panicked look in his eye. "No, no, no, it's not supposed to happen like this…" Mabel was gulped and tried to calm him, "She's still alive, we need to-" He raised his gaze and stared with glowing blue eyes. _"You don't understand. He CHEATED. That rotten, selfish bastard cheated!" _Mabel inched backwards as Robert's skin glowed silver blue and his teeth sharped to a point. One of his eyes began to be eclipsed by darkness, and he turned away, his feet almost rising off of the ground. "R-Rob-" He swiveled on his heel, ignoring the shocked look on Mabel's face and running back towards town.

Confused and frightened, Mabel was about to run after him, when mocking laughter filled the forest and the color seeped out of her vision. _^HAHAHAHAHAAHA!^ _Growling, she turned towards Bill and glowered at him hotly. "WHAT, did you DO, to Wendy?" The demon flew over to her side, and created a hologram of Wendy. _^Oh you mean Red? Yeah…when you make deals with demons…they rarely end well…^ _He turned away and grew a slightly dark look. _^I'm sure your brother can attest to that.^_

Mabel turned on him with a scowl, and tried to hold back tears. "Answer the question, what did you do to her! And what did you do to Robert!" Bill snickered, _^Well the answer depends upon your conception of reality, but **I **didn't touch the poor fellow. And I can't be held accountable for what deals he may or may not have made with other demons.^ _The hologram began to depict Wendy rotting into a skeleton and Mabel had to turn away. _^As for Red…well you can blame that on The Seeker that ol' BrokenFist, he's the one who sent the big bad Traggzimorph here.^ _The hologram depicted the beast that had attacked her, and Mabel's eyes widened. "Tragsmorph? What was that thing? Why did it attack me!?"

Bill rolled his eye, and bopped her on the nose. _^So impatient, don't you know that the best questions are those we never ask?^ _The brunette shrunk away, wishing more than anything at that moment that she could punch him. "Just tell me! Why would that thing attack us!?" The cyclops giggled, _^The same reason that your brother got the hots for Llama and MagnifyingGlass;^ _He turned towards the confused tween with glowing blue fire in his hands. _^Distraction.^ _Mabel frowned, feeling something awful sneaking up on her. "I don't-" _^First rule of a good leader; Keep the people distracted. Keep them focused on something petty and relatively small so that they don't care or think.^ _His hologram depicted Stalin, then a man she had seen before, then George Bush.

_^Keep them focused on their family fun entertainment, their career, the obsolete facts that they memorize like parrots in the edu-cation-al-sys-tem. Keep them watching their weight, keep them worrying about the elevenhundreth Call of Duty game, keep them caught up in the latest drama. The more binge-watching their doing, the less thinking. And the less thinking means that when it comes time for them to panic or rally around something that you want…^ _Mabel ended his sentence with a breath that died before it left her mouth. "…They'll do it without hesitation."

Bill drew a smile on his face, and levitated closer to her. _^And you wonder why I hate human kind…^ _Rain splashed against Mabel's hair, and she wished that she could walk away, and NOT LISTEN. She wanted answers, but simultaneously couldn't stand the steady stream of toxic realities that he introduced to her.

^_Because if YOUR worrying about your alternate twin, and Dippingsauce worrying about you, and his little CRUSH is worrying about him, no one is realizing that Mabel Pines got infected with inter-dimensional energy when passed out two weeks ago. And every time she touches metal…there is a 25% chance that it explodes.^ _Mabel stared at her hands and realized that they were glowing._ ^If Spectacles is seducing holograms and worrying about returning to a place he hated to begin with, then he isn't wondering why Stan Pines keeps disappearing. He doesn't consider that Stanford might be a pawn of Bill Cipher's, and is right now helping to activate a machine that will destroy this world." _A flash of blue light struck the sky, and Mabel realized that someone was opening a portal like the kind that Bill had used to summon demons.

_^That's why you have to keep throwing curveballs towards people. And then, right when they are on the edge of breaking through the lies,^ _He began to fade away, _^You give them something to worry about, and set up your doomsday device.^ _

The words hung in the air as he vanished from sight, and Mabel rushed towards the portal, praying that she wasn't too late to stop her uncle from making the biggest mistake of his life.

**-+=^0^=+-**

Gideon stared at his comrade in a mixture of disgust and fascination.

The alternate version of his nemesis apparently _tore _the Northwest girl's heart out, and was now intending to use it for resurrection purposes. "The storm helps." He explained upon fixing a lightning rod to the roof and trailing a wire through the window and into the decrepit attic. He was dressed in a tuxedo but the goggles which he had presumably stolen, caused him to resemble the fictional mad doctor of Mary Shelly's creation.

His grin stretched ear to ear, and he looked utterly soulless with his eyes concealed (not that his eyes brought much soul to the table previously. If that wasn't bad enough, he kept dragging his gloved fingers over his sister's corpse, sniffing her well preserved hair and whispering in her ear. Gideon level ten creep to begin with, but this behavior still unnerved him. The way that the madman's eyes lingered almost reminded him of his own perverted obsession. Of course the pre-teen's eyes were concealed, so whether he looked at his twin with guilt, love, or lust, Gideon was totally unsure.

All he knew was that the storm was picking up, and he was becoming rather impatient.

"Can we please get this over with?" The murderer shot him a death glare, but then regained his unsettling grin. "Of course…now you…" He removed the stolen heart from the jar with one gloved hand, and pulled one of Gideon's hands open. "Can hold _this_…" Dropping the red lump of flesh and tubes into the seer's twitching left hand, Dipper turned back to his sister with a satisfied smirk and removed a scalpel from his pocket. "As I make the incision…"

Gideon cupped the bloody organ with his other hand, and turned his attention to Dipper's delicate work, refusing to stare at the heart. If he didn't know better he would say that it was stirring in his hands. The miracle worker stabbed the blade into the chest, and cut through flesh and bone like a chief with salad ingredients. His white gloves turned black and red from the gory work, and he hummed "Ring-around-the-Rosie" as he performed.

"Heart please," Gideon sighed in relief and outstretched his hands, desperate to have the guilty reminder of his actions removed. Dipper plucked it up like another egg for the omelet and tossed the old heart across the room, not wavering from his position and work when it splattered across the wall. Gideon shuddered at the sight and turned back to the table in time to witness his employee stab the fresh heart into the gaping hole he had created. Turning towards the white haired boy, before Dipper yanking off his gloves and tossing them in his direction. Promptly grabbing a needle and thread from the side table, Dipper pulled the circle of skin he had cut off back into place, and stabbed the tiny metal pin into it.

"Mabel taught me to stitch as best as possible…but I'm still pretty rusty." He flashed a boyish grin, "You may want to sit down…after this I still have to set up the herbs and get through five minutes of chanting." Gideon sighed and did as instructed, beginning to wonder if this was going anywhere. "Relax short-stack…if bringing people back from the dead was easy everyone would do it."

**-+=^0^=+-**

Dipper stared at the body bag with a face of stone.

Police were everywhere, although Mr. Northwest was doing his best to get them out of the house as quickly as possible. He showed no remorse for the death of his daughter, only disdain. His wife was shedding a dozen crocodile tears just for the attention, and probably to cope a feel on one of the more attractive officers.

If Gid wasn't by his side, Dipper probably would have long since gone into a raging fit of tears and screams. After all, how could they do this? How could they care so little for her. Even when he had most disliked her, he wouldn't have been _this _indifferent. It was completely unfair. If anyone deserved to die, THEY DID. Not her. Almost anyone was better than them.

They were ugly with cosmetics, they had more money in their pocket than the average hundred year old had ever used. They had a giant house that they hardly used but refused to share. They were the kind of people who lobbied people into the government instead of voting, and still complained about taxes. They had both lived cushy lives their whole life, feeding off of the work of other's like parasites but then treating the impoverished like scum and calling THEM the leeches. They were the ones who had ruined Pacifica, they traumatized her. Of course they could get away with it, because they were rich. Why have morals when you buy more petty shit?

And just when he had fixed her, just when she was starting to reveal her good side. Just when everything looked fine, she had been killed. _They deserve to go to prison, they deserve to be locked up and not let out. Not a thieves and speeders, these people have ruined more lives than most people can hope to. _He looked down at the bloodstain which crisscrossed the floor as a policeman noticed him and sighed. _MOST people. _The policeman pushed him and Gideon outside and slammed the door close, leaving them both in the pouring rain. _HE DID IT. All he cares about is ruining other people's lives because of how shitty his is._

Gideon got a call on his cellphone, and frowned. His hate-fueled companion would have headed straight for the Tent of Telepathy, if his next words had been different. "Robert and Mabel found Wendy in the woods, she got hurt…really badly, and Robert brought her to the hospital and sent Mabel to the Shack to tell us…" Dipper turned towards him and tried to recover from the third shock that had come out of nowhere today.

He gulped upon realizing that who was responsible for the succession of madness. "Who do we know that can summon demons and likes to gut and torture people?" Gid's eyes widened and he looked like a cannon had just struck him. "Paz and Mabel…there back at the Sha-" Dipper grabbed his shoulder and pulled him in the direction of the Shack. His stretched muscles and bruises had forced him to walk here, but he was too panicked to do anything besides run.

The pain burned through him as the storm soaked him, and Gideon found it difficult to keep up with him, despite not being nearly as injured. _You're not going to take anyone else from me you sick fuck. _

**-+=^0^=+-**

Mabel came to a halt in front of the cave, the light from the colossal machine inside the mountain light up the whole tunnel, and Mabel stared in horror at the writhing bubble of energy which continued to expand. _No time to get the others, it's up to you to stop this. _

Taking a deep breath, Mabel charged into the tunnel and quickly located the emergency shut off switch. She was a few yards away when a blast of antigravity shook the cavern and she was sent spinning up towards impaling stalactites and was forced to kick off the edge of one. Swimming through the litter choked air, Mabel once more was about to reach the button, when the anomaly ended and she hit the ground like a rock.

Coughing and wheezing, she righted herself and clutched her bruised side as she staggered towards the button that was now only two feet away. "STOP! PLEASE! YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING!" Mabel turned around and stared in astonishment at her great uncle. He wore a black and gold eye patch, a yellow suit with black gloves, and used a cane with a triangular handle to steady his motions.

"STAN!" She was incredulous, how could he dress like that and not realize who he looked like. "Bill tricked yo-" He staggered forward and she realized that he couldn't hear her over the howling and sizzling of the machine. Taking a deep breath of polluted air, she gripped the metal pole for support as the portal tried to pull her into its unknowable depths. "BILL TRICKED YOU! THIS THING IS GOING TO DESTROY THE WORLD, I HAVE TO SHUT IT OFF!" Stan shook his head, a look of anguish on his face as he slowly neared her. McGucket stuck his head out of the metal box which sparks were flying out of, and it distracted Mabel long enough to allow Stan to dart forward and swat her hand away from the button.

Clutching her stinging hand, Mabel bit her lip and circled him. Her vision was clouded not just by the blinding light that was a few feet from her and the cloud of stirred dust, but by the tears that were beginning to rise on her cheeks. How could he hit her? Just that one hit had caused half her arm to go numb, and she could hardly see remorse in his gaze.

He was too busy staring at the portal.

Charging forward, Mabel kicked his bad leg and watched him topple over. "I'm sorry…but I can't let you do this…" She wiped away the tears and tore her gaze from his look of pain and anguish. Her hand hovered over the button, unwavering as a gravity anomaly prevented a distressed McGucket from reaching her. Mabel wrapped her legs around the pole and was about to strike the button, when Stan screamed the one thing that could get her attention. "IT'S TO SAVE YOUR GRANDFATHER!"

She turned towards him in shock and was sent hurling back as electricity streamed out of her and exploded through the cave. The energy that had entwined with her mortal form linked with portal and fueled it boundlessly.

Mocking laughter filled the cavern as the body of Stan Pines was pulled to its full height by a new soul. The last thing that Mabel saw before blacking out, was that con man's revealed eye was glowing yellow.

**-+=^0^=+-**

Dipper Gleeful laughed as electricity coursed through the sky and traversed the clouds with impossible speed. He stabbed the sacrificial knife into the rat, and let the thick blood spill across the mutilated corpse of his sister. _You're going to be fine._

Raising the bone charm he had spent the majority of the night before carving, Dipper watched as her amulet began to glow. It had been cracked by the force of Bill's blow, but he had reshaped it with all the same pieces. His benefactor had disappeared from his view of concertation, so the gasp that Gideon let out as Mabel's hands stirred was more startling than the sign of life itself. Dipper began to chant as the insidious mixture of science and magic, of future and past, began to take effect. More electricity flowed through Mabel, and a green aura informed him that it was time to chant.

_"By the darkest depths of the abyss, by the heathen red with traveled the globe under the disguise of justice and holiness, by the dripping madness that slips through the seams and can destroy everything a person has worked for in a day, by the raging hunger that drives the eternally gaping mouth of war…RETURN MY SISTER TO ME!"_

The command reverberated through dozens of dimensions, before returning and enacting its power. _"In three years she sacrificed more to the dark powers than most people in the multiverse can in a lifetime zone! SO RETURN HER!" _The green aura turned red and Mabel's burning body thumped up and down as her eyelids popped open and revealed blood red eyes. The burn marks started disappearing, and Mabel's mouth opened to reveal a toothless void.

With one long gulp, she inhaled the flames and her skin glowed red as the energy was transmitted into her cellular restoration. Her heart began to thump like a drum and the electricity coursed through her, turning green in coloration and disappearing off the tip of her hairs. Her eyes closed once more as Dipper cut open his left wrist and gripped her right one. "Please. Return to me."

The explosion sent him and the quivering Gideon crashing into the rotten walls of the house. Dipper's ears popped violently and his bones rattled and reset upon contact with the profane energy which he had summoned. His eyelids drooped, the pain in his head diminishing as he slipped towards unconsciousness.

"Wake up brother-dear…"

His eyes popped open at the familiar voice and Mabel, who had helped herself to some of his clothes before deciding to awaken him. Staring awe of his own work, he would have stopped a moment to let his ego swell if he wasn't so busy nearly crushing his newly resurrected sister with a hug. She stiffened at the show of affection, but patted his back gingerly.

"Alright you big dork…stop hugging me before this gets weird." He chuckled and removed himself from the embrace, before looking her in the eyes. "Sister-dear, while dead…did you-" her face tightened, "I don't want to talk about it." He smiled, "That's okay, I don't really care…I was just curious." Deciding that he should change the subject, he picked up the bloody knife he had used for the ritual. "Well, I think that in light of your arrival…we should paint the town red." A sinister smile crossed her face at his witticism, and she cupped his shoulder.

"My feelings exactly Brother, what say we pay some Mouth-breathers a lesson?"

**-+=^0^=+-**

**Hope you enjoy. WEHAVEFINALLYHITTHEMAJORCONFLICT!**


	10. The choices that forge our lives

_**WARNING: An excessive number of dirt naps are about to be taken. You have been warned. **_

**10 **

Mabel opened her eyes, and stared up at a very familiar face.

"Hey Lee, I found a little girl." Her vision blurred as she was lifted and the teen turned in the direction of a man with a scarf wrapped around his mouth, and a very familiar stub of hair poking up atop his head. He had McGucket thrown over one shoulder, and his trench coat was covered in burns and tear marks. Mabel tried her best to remember just what it was that she had last heard, it seemed extremely important. But thinking hurt, and it took a moment for her to realize that her arms and legs were completely numb.

"Why the hell would Stanford have an eight year old next to a device this powerful?" Lee seemed to be inspecting the wreckage, and he removed his goggles to procure a better look. _Those eyes, that face. It should mean something. _Mabel shifted in the teen's grasp, and Lee turned towards her. "Careful Gwendolyn, what do you want to do? Drop her?" The teen rolled her eyes. "Why are you acting so defensive? She was just moving in her sleep. You haven't seen this girl before have you?"

Lee stepped over, removing his scarf and staring down at her with a scar ridden face. _Stan? _"No…I haven't." He looked around, "C'mon, there's a car over there…we need to get these two to the hospital and locate my brother." _Brother? Stan…silly old man…you don't have a brother. _"God knows what has happened in my absence…my son he…he probably hates me…" _Wait…if Stan doesn't have a brother…why is he my great uncle? But my granddad died years ago. Unless…_

"You know, she kinda looks like you." Lee stopped and looked back at her, his face softening upon doing so. "Well she's too young to be Stan's kid…unless he's been leading a REALLY weird life this whole time, which wouldn't surprise me one bit." He broke the window of Stan rental and began hot wiring the car as Gwendolyn laid Mabel down in the backseat, beside an unconscious McGucket. "Shouldn't we uhhh, turn that thing off before it lets in the inter-dimensional creeps."

Lee glanced at the portal before pulling out. "It'll shut off once it runs out of power, which should be in a few minutes." _A constant stream of inter-dimensional energy. _Mabel's eyes widened in horror and she struggled against the invisible hand which held her mouth closed. "Anyways, we couldn't shut it down manually if we wanted to…the control panel was destroyed by the blast."

**-+=^0^=+-**

Dipper burst inside, his leg burning with pain from the sprint.

Halfway through Gideon had forced him to stop and take a breather, for which the panicked tween was very grateful for. "Paz? Mabel?" He tried to flip on the light, but the power was out. _Goddamn storm! _He grabbed a "Mystery Shacktm monster hunting flashlight" from the wrack and ran over to Soos' "breakroom" to grab some batteries from his spare toolset, and stuff them into the flashlight. "Dipper…*pant-pant* slow down! We have to *pant* stick together…" The pre-teen investigator fumbled with the batteries until they were in properly, and grabbed a wrench for protection, almost lodging it in Gideon's skull when the boy surprised him.

"AKH! Don't scare me that…" He looked around and pointed towards the kitchen, handing the younger boy a wrench. "You take this level …I'll check upstairs." He didn't wait for confirmation, instead bolting up the stairs and clutching his wretched leg as he ascended them. A foot stuck out at the top of the stairs and he found himself in too much of a hurry to stop. He went flying with the trip, and the floorboards rattled under his weight.

Hearing the saboteur emit a dark chuckle, Dipper spun around, intent on a fight. But the only person to be seen was an out of breath Gideon. Turning away, he bolted towards the attic upon hearing a piercing scream. "HELP! HE-AHHH!" Feeling gripped with panic, Dipper turned a corner and saw his angular shadow cross over the red which stained the wall. Dipper jumped in fright as the attic ladder came crashing to the floor, and heard his own voice cruelly mock him as he subsequently neared it.

"C'mon Dipper my boy, we wouldn't want to keep our dear sweet Mabel awaiting, now would we?" With every step taking a little bit more out of him, Dipper climbed the steps. Gideon stumbled about in the darkness in an attempt to locate him. But he refused to wait, or heed the younger boy's warnings. He would not lose his sister.

He had lost enough today.

"LET HER GO GLEEFUL! THIS IS BETWEEN YOU AND ME!" In response, his nemesis flicked on a lamp and smiled from behind the cruel light as it half blinded him. "Are you sure…because I seem to remember this being all about HER." He wrenched Mabel off her feet, and Dipper watched in horror as the bruised girl sobbed. Despite the muffling duct tape over her mouth. Dipper was able to make out a few words. His name and pleads for help mostly.

The detective almost took a step forward, but halfway through the motion Dipper Gleeful's placed a hand upon his amulet and Mabel (along with an ax) rose into the air. "You don't wanna move any closer Pines…or you'll lose them _both_." A frown crossed Dipper's face at this confusing assertion, but his questioning was silenced when the teal energy lifted Paz into the air.

The blonde mirrored the position of his sister, with her fairer complexion showing off twice the bruises. She too desperately tried to communicate through the tape, and Dipper Gleeful moved the ax over to her side in order to silence her. "Choice time Dippy; Your sister or your girlfriend. Either you lose both chances at love in one day, or the playing field is leveled between you and I." Dipper felt his throat begin to constrict, and his hands began to clench and unclench systematically. "If you kill either of them I swear to god I will-" "YOU'LL WHAT?" The axe moved closer to Paz's throat and the malicious sorcerer grinned as Dipper felt hopelessness overcome him.

In a moment of futility, he let out a pathetic word slip from his proud lips. "Please." The grin doubled in size and Dipper knew that his counterpart had total control of the situation. He had to stall. He _had _to. "I'll choose okay? Just please give me a moment…" Dipper Gleeful raised the watch he had no doubt stolen and spoke in an amused tone. "You have thirty seconds mouth-breather."

The mouth-breather in question had not been listening, locked away deep in his thoughts. As he tried to think of a way out of the dreadful selection, his loathly doppelgänger sniffed Paz's hair. "I don't know Dippy…your sister is pretty great, but you can't very well screw her now can you?" Ignoring his crude jokes, Dipper glanced around the room wildly.

His sadistically calculative brain counted the passing seconds, failing to provide a solution but forcing his demeanor further and further towards sweat soaked rabidity. The captor tightly closed his claws (not nails, they were too yellow and gnarled) on his sister's ear. "Then again, to hell with the judgmental eye of society. Mabes might be better at the ol' horizontal hula than Blondie…" Blood dripped from the restrained girl's ear profusely as Dipper Gleeful inhaled the smell of her hair. "…Who knows? She might have a tighter ass…"

Dipper looked up at that comment and the action caused his calm duplicate to bring the ax close to Mabel's throat. "Ah well honey, I guess your bro is too incompetent to make a simple choice. In another universe you'd be alive and happy…but here you'll just be decapitate-" "NO!"

The homicidal maniac wearing his face scowled. "I'm getting impatient…three…"

There was too much on the line and too little time to formulate a plan. _And I'm the "plan" guy. _"…two..." But how could he choose, how could he stand to have blood on his hands. Then he realized that the feeling of distress had been different when his twin had been threatened. He knew that with Mabel's help he could forgive himself of Paz's demise, but forgiveness would run from him if he ever let Mabel come to harm.

"…o-" "PACIFICA!" Dipper Gleeful smirked and sent Mabel flying into him. Dipper struggled upwards and desperately tried to untie his sister as the ax dug into Paz's arm, and her scream shook the house. As soon as the tape had been removed from Mabel's mouth, she removed a knife and stabbed it into his side. Pain streaked through him as she yanked out the knife and turned towards her twin with a bloody leer.

A roaring began to fill the world as Dipper felt life fading from within, and color died as the world withered away and void replaced all.

**-+=^0^=+-**

Gideon Gleeful glared at the twins as they exited the burning shack, covered in blood. "Y-y-you left before we 'ad time to make a plan of attack!" Mabel Gleeful gave her brother a "really?" look and he sighed.

"Listen up shorty, I have my sister now," He placed a hand on her shoulder and she cast a smile his way. The nine year old's brow furrowed. "Ah…ah don't understand…We h-had a deal!" Dipper rolled his eyes, "I. Don't. Need. YOU! My sister doesn't, Bill doesn't, and your own father would prefer you _dead. _You failed Gideon, except it and get the fuck out of my way, because me and my sister just accomplished what you will never have the balls to do."

He stared up at Dipper with a reddening face, tears beginning to trickle down his cheeks. Mabel's face twisted up in disgust at this reveal of emotion and turned to her brother in surprise. "You teamed up with this loser?" Her twin shrugged lightly, "I found myself in need of resources, and he was easy to manipu-" "RAGHHH!" Gideon clutched his amulet and sent Dipper flying on the scorching roof.

"I'LL TEAR YOU LIMB FROM LIMB!" He landed on the roof beside his former ally, who rolled over and sent a burning piece of thatch towards the pig faced youth. "I've fought demons, mutants, and dragons. I'm not about to be beaten by an ugly brat!" Gideon roared, and ducked out of the way before sending of wave from gravel below onto the roof. The pebbles pelted the crumbling roof and Dipper had to grip the side to avoid falling.

Gideon forced the drainpipe to twist into a club, and began to giggle like a maniac. "All ma' life I was mocked by fool's like you…but today…NO MORE." The club came down, not on Dipper's hands, but his amulet.

The stone shattered, the shards tearing across his chin and face. Startled out of his wits, he fell backwards and Gideon laughed ecstatically as he neared the ground. Then wave of teal energy surrounded him, and Mabel Gleeful rocketed into the air. Her power gripped Gideon's amulet, nearly pulling him off the roof before the string finally snapped. Closing her palm around the stone, her eyes glowed with unruly power as she sapped the talisman of its power, and dropped it to the gravel below. Coming down like the angel of death, she screeched a string of ancient words before smiling as the fire formed snakes, and coiled around the screaming Gideon.

A cracking sound filled the air as the roof collapsed beneath his wriggling form and he vanished into the scarlet below. With eyes glowing sapphire with power, she picked up her brother and soared through the night sky.

**-+=^0^=+-**

Gideon Pines looked between the bodies Dipper and Pacifica. It looked like both of their chests rose and fell with breath, but that could have just been a trick of the smoke which stung his eyes and turned the world bleary with water. He knew that he couldn't support both of their weight, and he knew that the house had to be four or five minutes away from collapsing.

His throat was already beginning to choke with the lack of oxygen and he knew that if he did not choose, then all three of them would die. And it wasn't even choice. It merely happened to be a matter of casting an apologetic look Dipper's way, before picking up his damsel and descending the stairs.

Photos fell from the shoddy walls, the pain peeling off and striking the orange flames, which the twins no doubt fed with gasoline. Gid began to run as the floor boards began to creak like a barn door, and he whispered that everything would be fine to the unconscious beauty as she mumbled something in her sleep. He tried to usher away the thought that, with Dipper dead, any chance of him and Paz hooking up was eliminated.

But he couldn't. No matter the circumstances, some people are hardwired a certain way. And in all the quadrillions of dimensions which Gideon Gleeful inhabited, he still had envy in his heart. He would till his dying day.

Halfway to the door, Gid could practically smell the cool night air. He could almost feel the cool reprieve from the scorching interior. But when only three steps from the threshold, a beam toppled downwards from above and forced him to the floor. Cinders flooded his eyes and he screamed in pain, wriggling back in forth. The beam pinned Paz on top of him, and as the house began to shake with unsteadiness, he felt the sickening clutch of death begin to grip him.

Ironic considering that one of his fantasies was to die beside Pacifica Northwest. Looking up at her abused face, he felt bile rise in his throat in rage. He didn't know how Dipper Pines had brought back his twin, but he knew that the Gleeful's would pay for what they did to _his _girl. Of course the rage subsided, when yet again he found himself enraptured in her. The situation, even one as dire as this, with the heat inches from the back his neck and causing his lips to crack and bleed in dryness, seemed irrelevant. Even with blood running down her purple bruised cheek and flames highlighting her platinum blonde locks, she still brought the madness inside him calm.

_If I'm going to die, I might as well have kissed a girl once in my miserable life. _And after all, she was unconscious, it's not like he would break some invisible law if he indulged his desire whilst under such psychological duress. Shifting as much as possible, he leaned forward and pushed his lips against hers.

An ax split the burnt door in half, and Robert stepped in with a wild look in his eye. "HAHAHAHAHA…" He stared at the two of them insanely, and for a moment Gideon felt terror streak through him at the teen's demeanor. His black locks had been torn at unmercifully and blood ran down his lips, staining his yellow teeth and dribbling off of his unshaved chin. Then he kicked off the beam and with one arm he scooped them up.

Robert threw them on the heated gravel, and rushed back inside. Gideon tried to call out to him, but he found himself too stunned. And even trying to form words was painful for his throat. The house began to sag, and Gid felt himself grow wearier as the moaning resembled that of a beached whale.

Robert kicked his way out the attic window, landing on his feet with glowing blue eyes. Dipper lay in his coiled left arm, like a baby cradled by an incredibly athletic mother. Robert continued smiling as The Shack collapsed behind him, a wave of cinders filling the air and floating towards the stars. A silver gleam passed over Robert's eyes, and realization struck Gideon as deafening thunder filled the valley.

**-+=^0^=+-**

Creatures of all shapes and sizes charged out of the portal, ecstatic about ravaging this new and strange dimension.

They sported skulls without eyes, noses of bone, horns that extended from the wrong side of their head. Tusks with multiple points, claws that could shred steel, and six pointed hooves. The ones who did have eyes either had dozens of tiny black or red ones, or three greenish yellow ones. Wings flapped, tails clattered, spikes raised in preparation to be released from the hellish beasts. Multiple tongues waggled in the electricity soaked air, their acidic salvia hissing against the ground and defertilizing the stained soil.

Bill Cipher watched and laughed as his glorious abominations descended upon the land, tearing down the mountainside at speeds approaching 90 miles an hour. They tore through trees without stopping, they picked up boulders and heaved them overhead. Of every color, height, length, and weight they came.

But the worse monster of all, was Stan Gleeful, who stepped out of the portal in time to watch the ensuing chaos.


	11. Re-grouping

**Chapter 11**

Toby Determined stepped out of his house, his attention attracted by the screams which filled the air. Lazy Susan had just finished locking up the diner, and now stood with a gaping mouth. She raised her bad eyelid to stare at the chaos streaming down the mountain sides. They acted as screeching blots of color against the dark mountainside, and the sound of trees falling reached Toby sickeningly. Rivers of tiny red creatures and massive pink creatures which resembled rivers in the way that they flowed over the land, along with many, many other atrocities, descended upon the town.

Toby gulped before charging off towards his camper. It was time to get the hell out of town. Everywhere around him, people had begun to go insane. Manly Dan, who had been desperately searching the town all day for his daughter, now stared up at the swarm with enraged tears streaming down his muscular face. Bud Gleeful seemed to be staring up at the demonic horde with not panic, but confusion. Deputy Durland and Sherriff Blubs crouched behind their car, holding hands and sobbing beside one another. A priest exited the town's beaten up church and demanded that everyone repent. And Old Man McGucket stared up at the doom with all of his teeth revealed. He kept muttering something about having "seen this all before," but Toby was too busy sprinting down Main Street to care.

His shoes slapped against the pavement as a chorus of shrieks filled the air, and mixed pandemoniusly with the low rumble of thunder. Looking up at the blood red clouds which swirled ominously above, Toby came to a full heart as he caught a glimpse of what hovered through the air. Stan Pines, dressed in a golden suit, cackled maniacally as pink lightning streaked past him.

The bolt pierced the dry air and struck the department store. Neon green flames crawled up the sides of the building, like kudzu vines on steroids. Tad Strange sprinted out of the building, only to be struck by another damning bolt. Toby stared in horror as the man's body rattled with the flow of energy, and as his charred black flesh peeled off in strips. Bit of asphalt flew up and pelted the street.

Stan Pines cackled above, his laughter echoing endlessly and beginning to invade Toby's mind. The reporter forced himself to move, for fear of that laughter consuming his soul. The ground cracked beneath his leaping feet, blasts of scorching heat escaping and singing his ankles. Rolling across the road, Toby skinned his knee and clutched the scratch as he used the water hydrant to support himself.

Looking up, he watched as a tour bus passed him and spun off in the direction of California. Just as it had begun to pick up speed, a massive brute collided with the pavement in front of it. Staring at the screaming passengers with it's multitude of eyes, the grape colored abomination roared and flung the buss his way. Toby ducked into and alleyway, and watched the bus crashed into the bank.

Backing away from the growing destruction, he found himself at an utter lack for words. Fortunately, he didn't have to say anything. No one would have heard him, and no one did as a twelve fingered hand covered his mouth and sixteen teeth coated heads bit into his limbs and began tearing him to shreds.

**=^-0-^=**

Mabel Pines awoke, and was nearly blinded by the red light which shone through the cracked windshield and filled the car. Spitting up enough phlegm to make herself feel sick, she rolled off of the back seat, and struck the dirty floor of the car in pain. Muffled voices reached her from outside, and she pulled herself to a stand and kicked open the car. Her head was a buzz with dull frustration, and permeated with unruly thoughts which she could not quite decipher the meaning of. It was as if someone had dropped a net of static upon her head.

The muffled discussion was broken when she toppled out of the car, and hit the gravel with a cry. Coughing up more phlegm and brushing blood from her nose, Mabel stared at the ground in shock. A scorching heat struck the back of her neck, brought on by a slow breeze. Horrible shrieks and roaring booms filled the air, and before Mabel could push herself to her feet, a scarred hand gripped the collar of her sweater and yanked her into the air.

"What did you see?"

A stony face, marred with cuts and bruises, stared back at her. It resembled her great uncle's face but only enough to disturb and not comfort her. Behind him stood a mottled version of Wendy, her unkempt, half dyed hair billowing in the hot gusts stirred up by the storm. She balanced on a metal cane, and stared back with remarkably bright green eyes.

Staring at the teen, she realized that the sky had turned red. Not only that, but an awful crackling noise filled her ear.

"HEY! Pay attention when I am speaking to you!"

Straightening up, she let the words tumble forth. "I don't know who you are, but I need to find my brother, a demon is summoning a demon army, and I need his help to close the portal or-"

The man nodded his head. "I know." Stunned, Mabel stared at him strangely. The man continued as she tried to push the intense crackling from her mind, and focus on him. "I didn't realize that the machine hadn't stopped working until we were half way down the mountain, and it's a good thing too…a demon army would have torn the three of us in half."

Aware that time was of the essence, but unable to withhold her questions any longer, Mabel just spat them out. "Are you…are you my great uncle from a different dimension? Why is Wendy with you? A different Wendy…ours is in the hospital, unless Robert has gone totally insa-" The man raised an eyebrow, and lowered her to the ground. "Your uncle…he's the one that turned on that machine, right?" Mabel nodded slowly, unsure of the man's intentions. He held a decidedly hazardous air about him, one which He turned to the kind-of Wendy, and gave her a serious look. "Gwendolyn, look after the squirt…I need to check something." Mabel looked up at the scrub-version of her favorite redhead, and couldn't hold back a giggle despite the severity of the situation. "Gw-GWENDOLYN?" The teen nodded as she loaded some incredibly complex device.

The old man in the meantime, was busy rifling through the car. Mabel tried to speak to him when he finished, but instead he strolled to the back of the car and grew a grin. "Leave it to Ford to get a vanity plate for a rental…" His childish grin decreased as an increased somberness overcame him. "Oh god…what have you done, brother of mine."

Mabel felt herself growing more confused by the moment. "Could you please tell me who you are and why you're here!? I need to close the portal before-"

The crackling and heat grew, and Mabel felt her skin begin to crawl. For a moment the old man, and she stared at him with wide eyes. Bending on one knee, the man inspected her for a moment as though a pediatrician. He said something like "family hair", but Mabel found it difficult to concentrate under the crackling and the heat. The man made one last inspection of her eyes, before extending a hand with a rough smile.

Six fingers. Mabel knew that six fingers should mean something, but her fever/headache was growing with every second. She found it difficult to concentrate on his words, let alone the blurry piece of flesh in front of her.

She didn't shake it though, too busy clutching her forehead. The man didn't seem to mind however, he just tossed the keys to Gwendolyn. "My name is Lee, and I am…a relative. We'll explain everything else on the way, but we need to get you to the portal as quickly as possible."

The old man shook his head, as his companion lowered her gaze to the ground. "No. You have cosmic energy inside you. I can remove it without hurting you, and use it to seal the void." Mabel felt as if she had been kept out of a joke. "But how…I mean, how did you know?" The old man lowered her to the ground and tugged her towards the car, gesturing for the uninjured Wendy to follow. "I hate to tell you this kid…" Buckling her into the passenger seat, the man ran around the car before finishing his sentence.

"You are glowing." The alternate Wendy climbed into the back of the car, telling Mabel that she would explain everything about who they were on the way.

The tween wasn't listening however, she was too busy inspecting her green glowing hands.

**=^-0-^=**

Dipper Pines awoke to the sound of bird's chirping.

Grass felt wet beneath his back, and tickled his almost hairless legs. His eyes fluttered several times, trying to make sense of the perfectly blue sky above him. It seemed to waver the more he scrutinized it, but the chirping caused him to focus his attention elsewhere. He sat up on the side of a hill, with a late spring sun high above him. The bird's seemed to have roosted upon the small batch of oak trees which had congregated behind him. Their leaves rustling in the refreshing breeze, he had to spend a moment and watch the leaves which flittered from their branches and danced along the grass. A late summer's sun hung above, an almost violet aura surrounding its golden presence. It warmed his back, and slowly dried the dew covered meadow which the hill overlooked. Glancing to the side, he found Wendy sleeping in the passenger seat. His breath hitched at just how peaceful she looked. Further down the hill, Gid and Paz lay against a rock. Dipper descended the hill to get a better look, and found that Gid's head lay on Paz's shoulder with a pang of envy.

But the pure serenity of the scene kept it from consuming anymore of his time. How could he be jealous when butterflies fluttered in purple and yellow circles over flowers, regardless of their 24 hour lifespan? How could he be anxious when rabbits hopped through the meadow without a care in the world? The sky was blue, the clouds were white, and he had all his friends around him. Nothing and no one was missin-

Another pleasant breeze struck his head, and he reached up to find that his signature cap had vanished. Glancing around, he spotted it within arm's reach. The baseball cap appeared to be the only thing in this place which brought the connotation of fear. He scoffed at the idea, liking to think of himself very much as a man of science. How could a hat be dangerous? Nonetheless, just staring at it, he knew that something very perilous rested in and around its form.

Its edges were slightly singed, and the blue pine tree imprinted atop it, had turned red.

Dipper picked it up with an ounce of reluctance. As he did, memories poured into his skull. Memories of fire, anguish, rage, self-loathing, grief, pain, and most of all, regret. Memories of receiving a blow to the stomach, from the sister who he sacrificed everything for. She hadn't just HIT him. She had _eviscerated _him.

He pulled up his shirt and stared at his pale and unharmed stomach. His relief died away when he returned to the thought that Mabel had stabbed him. It must have been a dream, a nightmare, and a hallucination. These memories did not feel right, they left a nasty taste in his mouth, and this place seemed too wonderful to exist in the same world where such awful things could happen. Pacifica had not been killed grotesquely, and he had not been forced to make the decision which had been on his mind over the past two days. No, he such choices would never need to be made in a place as bountiful and jubilant as this. Mabel would love it here. HE would love it here. How could anyone NOT? He hadn't seen food or water yet (unless you counted the rabbits, which Mabel would never let him kill), but it seemed obvious for no apparent reason, that all the necessary resources would be provided. This place filled him with comfort and a godly sense of warmth. He had reached paradise and everything up until this point had been a drea-

Then it struck him that he didn't belong here. Not on this hilltop, not at this time. Not just in the physical sense. He had always been the one to discover, to seek danger, and defeat it psychological throes. The cruelty and hazards of the world had formed him as much as anything else. A place like this would not exist in that world, and it could not exist. The trees would not be perfect, the clouds would not be that fluffy. This entire world seemed like a charade, a movie set, a mural to entertain a couple of four year olds.

He had been in Gravity Falls, where there were no meadows. It had been dark, not the morning hours. And there were far too many details from last night that he could recall, for him to regard it as anything less than the horrible reality. Which meant that Mabel _had _stabbed him. No, that didn't seem right. The details were coming back to him, and as he replayed the fuzzy memory in his mind, he realized something integral. A Mabel, one _without braces_, had stabbed him.

He stored away the information that people could be resurrected without being zombies in "IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER" section of his calculative mind. But protectiveness and anger had already taken over. Dipper's face twisted up in preparation for a fight.

But that eagerness slipped away into a feeling of futility and failure. Yet again, he had been tricked by those two. He was SUPPOSED to be the smart one, yet he never had a plan which the twins could not shatter. He hadn't even had a plan when he rushed in to save Paz and his sister. He had been enraged for what they had done to Pacifica.

Yet AGAIN, he and his friends were all tied up while the twins started the apocalypse.

Then it occurred to him, that not only could they have killed him and his companions, but they must have healed them.

Standing, he stepped over to each of his companions, discerning quickly that they all lacked abrasions of any kind. Wendy had been found in a ditch leaking blood, but she looked absolutely fine at the moment. Dipper Gleeful had decorated Paz's face with bruises, but her skin looked flawless from every angle.

The bewilderment turned into terror as his mind produced a horrifying idea.

What if the twins had kidnapped them all and dumped here, in a remote location where no one would hear them scream? What if they intended to torture them all in front of each other, and were currently gathering the necessary tools?

The tween had to sit down for the next what if, the scariest what if of all. What if they had a potion or spell which they would use to keep them from dying of blood loss? What if the four of them would be at the twins mercy for god knows how long, forced to feel pain over and over again in a never ending cycle? His sharp intake of breath cause Wendy to stir slightly, and Dipper had to control his breathing to keep from hyperventilating.

_"__Calm down PineTree. Heh. Only you could worry in a place like this." _

Dipper nearly jumped, and looked up at the sadly smiling Robert. His voice carried across world and startled Wendy, Paz, and Gid into the waking world. The librarian wore a navy suit, with yellow stripes descending down it and a belt buckle which gleamed in the sunlight. A small leather eye patch covered his right eye, while his exposed eye sported a sliver gleaming iris and tinted blue sclera. Staring at the eyepatch, Dipper felt sickened by the implication. The fuzziness in his mind, as well as the fearful shock, made words hard to come. But Dipper finally got something out, even if it did sound like the confused squeaks of duckling. "R-Robert? How did we…why are we…why do you look that way?" But he already knew the answer, he just needed confirmation. This definitely was not Robert. _Because no one is who they are anymore._ He didn't smile like him, he didn't dress like him, and as far as Dipper knew, an aura of sea blue light had not emanated from the bookworm. This, like the world around him, was a prop. An object used to deploy someone's plan. He, Gid, Paz, and Wendy, were all essential to that plan. The plan of a lunatic with godlike power.

The thought made him shudder, and he felt himself growing numb with fear as Gid spoke. "Robert…what's going on? Where are we!? And why-?" The man put a finger to his lips. _"Robert has left the station MultiTool, I'm afraid that his soul is up in the ethos. But don't worry…Will is here. Everything is gonna be a-okay." _His head kept bobbing up and down as he said this, and had Dipper not known better he would have assumed the teen had taken some hallucinogenic.

Instead he noticed the bowler hat which adorned Robert's head, and clarified the situation for himself and his friends. "Bill…"

The demon turned to Dipper and thumbed his nose with a surprisingly cold touch, as he spoke in a voice which felt both parts Bill and Robert. _"It's WILL now silly buddy, we all have to grow an identity sometime you know." _He stared directly into Dipper's heart and soul as he said the next part. _"No matter the cost." _

Gulping, Dipper leaned slightly away from his terrifying smile as Wendy spoke up. "Get away from him you freak!" She dashed her way towards him, and he responded by raising a hand and unleashing a bolt of energy. Dipper stared with horror, but before he could intervene, the bolt had already collided with Wendy's form. She hung in the air, encapsulated by a fishbowl blue bubble. "Will" strolled forward and grinned at her as she pounded on the glass. Dipper rushed up and spoke calmly, full aware that this was the less malignant of the two Bill's. "Let her out! Please!" He smirked as Wendy motioned for Dipper to move away from Will. _"She's fine, she can hear, smell, and breath in there…she can't touch…but that's the idea!" _He giggled maliciously, and Gid raised a rock. "Let her out Cipher!" He gave Gid a quick glance, before pouting with Robert's rough lips. _"I just wanted to make sure she wouldn't pummel me…Icebag, are you ready to leave the bubble? Self -control is key after all to tearing apart your enemy. After all, did we really win if we're just an animal by the end of an ordeal? Then we don't get to gloat…" _He stared at her pointedly, and Dipper watched as his former crush paled. Having made his point, he snapped his fingers and the bubble popped loudly. Wendy struck the ground, and Dipper spoke in the calmest tone he could muster to prevent her from bulldozing the possessed teen, "Wendy…he isn't our version of Bill." The demon nodded Robert's head, and removed an umbrella from out of nowhere. _"SEE? Umbrella…not cane." _He clicked it and it opened it with a twirl. Looking side to side, Dipper realized that the horizon disappeared into outer space. He spoke with an obstruction in his throat, as he wondered how he had ever been so stupid to mistake this place for reality. "We…we aren't even in the real world are we? This is just a dream." Robert gave a slight nod as he leaned on his umbrella. Paz stepped over to him despite Gid's protective arm, and spoke up with desperation, "Then why are you doing this? Why would you bring us here?"

Will's cheery demeanor disintegrated under this query, and he answered with a gulp. _"The Bill of PineTree's world has possessed his great uncle and used a gigantic machine to open a tear in the fabric of the universe. If left unchecked, the tear will allow millions of demonic entities to enter our world and tear if to shreds." _He took a gasp and grinned at how quick he had recited this threat. _"Man, I would be a killer auctioneer…" _

Dipper could no longer take it, feeling his chest burn with frustration. "If what you said is true, my great uncle is in danger! Everyone is in danger! People are probably dying! If you wanted our help why didn't you warn us ahead of time? WHY THE HELL DID YOU WASTE OUR TIME HERE?!" Will leaned down and whispered. _"Patience is the secret to everything my little sprout. People are ALWAYS DYING. I am omnipotent that means I am keenly aware of the horrifying reality. Every tear, every whimper, every cry. I hear it, I see it. And I feel the weight of mental suffering in a manner which would snap your mind in two." _Dipper stood his ground despite the buzzing static which hissed on the tips of Will's hair, and golden fire which burned in his eye. He almost responded, but a gentle touch from Wendy prevented him. He glanced back at his friends, and took a deep breath as Will calmed himself, and revealed his intentions. _"But I'll tell you why, since the night is no longer as young as we would like it to be. Your sister is headed for the top of the mountain, to destroy the portal which these demons are escaping from…" _

The anger fled from Dipper with these words. "Then I need to get there, I need to-" Will shook his head, and placed a static filled hand upon his shoulder. Dipper yelped with the pain, and Will ran his gloved hands through his hair. _"Put your panic on the top shelf PineTree, I need you to go into the woods, and rally the creatures of this valley. Only with them can we prevent the demon army from spreading and destroying this whole state."_

"But my sis-"

_"__She will be protected, do not worry. I have allies in her midst." _

"But how am I gonna make them listen to me?"

_"__You are more persuasive than you give yourself credit PineTree. Besides…who wouldn't fight to keep their home? They've got nowhere else to go."_

Dipper glanced at the others, as Will continued with his plan. _"The rest of you will be needed to fight the demons and rally the townsfolk whilst I distract Bill. Alright?" _He asked the last part expectantly, and upon receiving no argument, clapped his hands together with a Cheshire grin. "ALRIGHTY THEN! LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!"

And with that, the meadow, the hill, and the cute little bunny rabbits with their white fur and pink eyes, were going, going…

Gone.

**=0=**

Mabel Gleeful laughed as her brother recited what had happened in her absence. The night air felt good against her skin after being so close to fire, and the storm left electricity in the air which buzzed off of her skin. It all made her feel alive, which felt important considering how she had been dead not long ago. And the joy which her brother gained from her every word and nod of approval, kept her in an unusually good mood. She pretended not to be impressed by his obsession with resurrecting her, or the fact that he had survived in the wild so long. She had always assumed that he would find a replacement for her when she died.

Tired of keeping secrets, she straightened in her seat and opened her mouth. As she did so, a voice pierced her mind and she crumpled against the psychic blow. _LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT PLEASE OH PLEASE! _Horrible screeching permeated throughout her skull, and she clapped hands over her ears. "AAAGH! STOP THAT NOISE!" Dipper stared with astonishment. "What noise!? What's wrong!? Tell me! TELL ME!" Mabel wasn't able to answer, her teeth were grinding too hard. Her fingers embedded in her scalp as she begged to feel any sort of pain besides this tearing, mental kind.

Seeing what she had begun to do to herself, Dipper grabbed her arms and restrained her. "Mabel! MABEL! Calm _down_!" Her legs kicked at his bruised side, and he yelped, forced to let go of her arms in time to watch her crawl away from him. Rain began to wet his scraggly hair as her eyes glowed a snow blue.

Holding his side, Dipper approached her quivering form. She stared up at him with trembling fear. "Mabel…it's gonna be alright, I promise." His hand stood beside his amulet, at the ready. But the violence in her had faded, now she merely stared at him with revulsion and terror. _"Murderer. GET AWAY FROM ME." _Dipper stopped in his tracks,

_"__You…KILLED ME. K-k-k-SLAUGHTERED me." _His hand fell to his side, as his entire form grew lifeless. "I…I didn't mean to…I…" An apology died on his lips, and he wiped the rain from his face while pretending that none of the water had been tears. "Mabel…I-" She lobbed a rock his way, which he easily avoided with a delicate leap to the side. When he raised his vison, she spoke again, her face writhing with energy as the words struggled to escape. _"YOU TORE OUT MY HEART Y-Y-YOU MONSTER…"_

Understanding flushed through Dipper, and he ran back to the back pack which he had stashed all of Gideon's useful junk into. Removing some rope, he realized that the brat had probably intended to tie up this world's version of Mabel, and would have laughed at the irony had he not felt so desperate. Glancing back at his sister, and the way that her head twitched and gaped like a glitch, his resolve hardened. Placing his left hand on his amulet, he raised Mabel's crawling form into the air.

_"__What are you…no please! Stop!"_

Using telekinesis, he caused the rope to slither through the air and wrap itself around Mabel like a boa constrictor. "I'm sorry…" He tried not to think about the last time he had tied her up, when she refused to do as he said, and he scarred her to appease the demonic powers. He tried not think about those nightmares in which he had tied her up and done unspeakable things to her. Now her form wriggled, legs flailing, mouth forming half sentences as two souls wrestled for control of the entangled body. "I'm so…so sorry sister dear."

This time he didn't even pretend that the tears weren't coming, he just trudged up the mountain with his sister levitating behind him. He knew that a portal lay at the top of the mountain, and he knew that he had done his world's version of the resurrection spell, and that everything would be fine if they could just back home. His cold logic attempted to keep him a float in a sea of regret, as the downpour caused mud to topple towards him, and hiss against the fire which consumed the town below.

**=^-0-^=**

Arthur removed the gas pump from the car, and noticed that she returned from the gas station with several oversized chocolate bars. "Ruby…how many of those are for the kids?" He smirked at her gluttony, and she bit into a Pentagram-bar with smiling defiance. When she had finally finished, he had paid and slipped into the driver's seat. She spoke as he began to pull out, "Stop being all judgy-judgy, whenever we get doughnuts you always hog them. Even on Mabel's birthday you ate the jelly!"

Arthur rolled his eyes at the accusation, "I'm just saying, the surprise visit won't be the same if you have eaten all the snacks. Has Stan responded yet?" Ruby shook her head with a sigh, "Does he ever reply to our calls except fourteen hours later?" He gave his own sigh, "Listen, I know we wasn't not your first choice for who the kids should spend summer with," "You got that for sure." Ignoring his wife's blatant dislike of his uncle, he continued. "But he graduated from West Coast Tech! I spent a summer with him when I was ten, and I wanted Dipper and Mabel to-" She interrupted him with a sign song voice. "Have the same experience, yeah, yeah, yeah. I just wish he wasn't so flaky." Arthur sighed, and gave her hand a light squeeze. "I know it's been tough not having the twins around, but we'll be there soon. And when we do get there, can you try not to rag on my uncle, he's been through a lot."

Ruby gave his hand squeeze, "Alright, alright. I'll lay off the big-" Staring out the windshield, her brow furrowed. "Umm, Arthur?" "Yes dear?" "Is the sky supposed to be red?" Arthur looked at where she pointed, and stared at the inexplicable red stain upon the atmosphere. It hung over one particular part of the state, and caused onyx bolts of electricity to stream down in cackling heaves.

Gulping, Arthur sped up as they passed the "WELCOME TO GRAVITY FALLS" sign. "No, it is not. But we are going to find out why…" Their car streaked through the woods, both parents woefully unaware of the horror awaiting them.


	12. Darkest hour, Brightest day

**_Just so you guys know, the names of the Stan and his twin are switched in my version. Filbrick named the smart one Stanley, and the conniving one Stanford. _**

**_Thus, the Author of the Journals will hence forth be referred to as "Lee" and the Reverse Falls Stan as Stanford. _**

**12**

Will screamed out across the howling wind, gaining his counterpart's attention with the best insult her could muster. _#HOW'S BEING A LAMPREY SLURPING INDIVIDUALIST WORKING OUT FOR YOU!?# _Bill turned Stan's head and smirked with fiery blue eyes. _^Is that the best you can do you obscurantist administrating tree fucker?^ _He flung a blast of energy towards his opponent, one which transformed into a sapphire rattlesnake and wriggled through the air to avoid any projectiles flung at it. Instead of attempting to strike the serpent, Will created a large shield of golden energy, and redirected the hard energy after its form shattered.

_#Those are awfully big words from a cowering and hypocritical excuse for a lickspittle!# _Bill zipped through the air to avoid the energy and formed a sword as he came upon his counterpart. He refuted as he clashed his teal sword against Will's quickly formed lance. _^What the pandemonium are you talking about? I'm not the one who know-toed for _human beings_!^ _Robert created a second lance in his other hand and slashed it across Bill's chin. Blood stained it as the possessed human went toppling backwards. Zipping after him, Will held lance against Bill's throat with his young hands. _#Your entire plan is to appease the demon lords Bill…at least I'm not working for anyone but myself.# _The old man laughed and kicked him in the stomach as he created teal bronze knuckles and raked them across Will's features.

_^MORON! You are working to try and make everybody happy. Worse, you are fighting to make HUMAN BEINGS happy. The most fickle creatures in the friggin' multiverse! You think they'll be happy under your rule. You think that if you remove starvation, war, and disease, they'll all dance around a fire like hippies, holding hands?!^ _He gripped Robert's neck with a bloody hand and strangulated him as they span through the chaotic air. Bill's new hair flapped madly in the wind, as his eyes reflected a pink bolt of lightning. _^IF YOU TAKE AWAY STARVATION THEY WILL COMPLAIN ABOUT HAVING TO SHARE THEIR RESOURCES INSTEAD OF THROWING AWAY FOOD!^ _He landed a one-two-one-two to his opponent, and slammed his knee into his ribs with a crunch. _^IF YOU FORCE THEM NOT TO HAVE WAR, THEY WILL COMPLAIN ABOUT FREE-FUCKING-WILL!^ _He swung Robert into a passing bolt and enjoyed the rattling and struggling form. _^IF YOU TAKE AWAY DISEASE, THEY WILL COMPLAIN ABOUT FUCKING UNEMPLOYMENT!^ _Will made the feeble attempt to strike him, and Bill responded by breaking his arm. Using a band of energy, Will held back his scream and sent his foe tumbling backwards. Bill roared with laughter and charged after his counterpart, as Will fired a spike of force in his direction. Avoiding the spike, he spoke in a low voice which sent shivers down Will's newly human spine.

_"You will join them in their destruction…" _

**=^-0-^=**

Gideon peered around the corner of the alleyway, and forced himself not to vomit as a bloated heathen stomped down Main Street. "Gid, we have to do something! We can't just stand here and watch these people get killed…Bill…or Will…or whoever he is wanted us to do something!"

The white haired boy turned towards her with determined eyes, and closed his hands around her arms. "What do you want me to do? We aren't like her-" He gestured to Wendy, who had just embedded her hatchet into the skull of a two head dragon mockery. "-we can't fight. We're not like Dipper, we don't know this world, and we can't summon an army to help…" He felt his throat tighten, but continued as Paz stared at his writhing face. "And I don't want you…I saw the corpse of this world's Pacifica…and I can't be responsible…" He choked again, and felt tears come to his eyes. Now wasn't the time for feeling though, so he wiped them from his face and looked up from the pavement to find his crush staring at him with a simple smile. "We have fought all kinds of monsters…tritons, hobgoblins, ghouls, crystalline golems…and a psychopathic president." She spoke in a calm, reasonable tone which kept his attention glued to her despite the screams, roars, and hisses in the background.

"We are not push overs, and I'm not gonna let my best friend fall apart at the seams. I have watched him dismantle a massive, two headed machine. I am ready to fight Gid, and I have no choice. Once in everyone's life they have to decide to either take a stand or watch their fellow human beings get mowed over. The only thing which is stopping me form running out there and fighting for five seconds with a trashcan, is that I know, and you know…" She placed two hands on his shoulders, and spun him towards the havoc. "-that Gideon Pines ALWAYS has a plan. And his plans never fail."

Glancing at her one last time, Gideon nodded with a smile. "Alright…let's kick some ass."

**=^-0-^=**

Dipper Pines stepped into the clearing. Pine needles crunched beneath his shoes, reminding him of just what the creatures he had come to communicate with

He surveyed the rustling bushes with the greatest hesitancy, but took a deep breath.

Staring at a pine tree straight ahead, he ignored the yellow eyes which surrounded him and the growls which permeated the forest. He concentrated on the fact that everyone needed him. Then he raised his gaze to the blood filled sky, and stared at the mountaintop from which this hell had been summoned. She needed him.

"I know that you all hate me…I'm sure that you would like nothing more than to crush, mutilate, and strangulate me. But we have to deal with something much bigger right now…your way of life, my way of life…it's all in danger. Nature, life, wonder, magic, time, EVERYTHING. The only way that we can keep things stable, is if we band together…please do this for me and my family…and I will surrender myself to all of you when the battle is over."

He gulped, and tried to prevent himself from making any other foolish promises. Slowly, gnomes, pixies, hobgoblin, sprites, lepricorns, unicorns, dwarves, manotaurs, and all manner of what have you filtered out of the woodland, and glowered at him in unison. Their piercing eyes struck him, and he had to force himself not to faint or bolt. Instead he stood tall as Jeff, the leader of the gnomes, stepped forward. "What exactly, oh dubious one, is the battle plan? Sure we might seem powerful to you humans, but those guys are interdimensional parasites. They've destroyed worlds, consumed souls, and are generally awful to everything including themselves…We're…" He glanced around, "Well most of us would be accepted in a Snow White feature…" A couple fantastical creatures shot him a glare, but he continued regardless. "Do you expect us to just charge in there guns blazing?!"

A grin spread across Dipper's face, and he silenced the gnome with a raised finger. "No…I have a much, much better idea…"

**=^-0-^=**

Wendy finished hacking tentacles beast to death, and kicked a rolling ball of teeth into one of the pits created in the ground. She turned to face a quadruple-headed magma lion, and saw a familiar form lying in the rubble. Cracking open a fire hydrant, she used her ax to direct water towards the lion. Its skin began to hiss with steam, and its explosion blocked out the calls of Gid and Paz.

Screaming bloody hell she slashed her way through a herd of demonic bulls, and tall, spiny devils. Gore flicked off of her hatchet as she reached her father, and bent on one knee to check his pulse. Pink lightning struck a nearby building, but Wendy ignored the rubble which scattered across the pavement, as well as the rampant screams.

She was too busy staunching the wound in her father's side, with trembling hands, as she held her head to his chest and begged to the higher powers that her father was still alive.

Her mental and whispered pleads did not change the reality, of her father's silent heart.

Fear, hate, love, and regret all bubbled and then liquefied into much simpler emotions. A mix of fury began to fill her as hot tears dribbled from her emerald eyes. But those eyes were already turning into the dark orbs of a dog. Her hair turned ragged at her side as she shook with growing energy. She tried to concentrate on something else. She tried to hold back the dam of savagery.

In her mind, she pictured her brothers, Dipper and Mabel, and her dead father all begging her not to turn, to stay human. But as she raised her head, she saw the gigantic creature which had made her mighty father fall. A low growl started in her throat, and her peaked ears picked up the sound of small footsteps.

A familiar voice called out to her, but at this stage she could no longer understand human speech. Her bared teeth ground against one another as she whipped her elongated skull towards the voice, the white haired boy screamed in horror at her visage.

Her howls echoed throughout the town, blocking out the screeches and the roars. It was quickly followed by the painful terror of Gideon Pines.

**=^-0-^=**

Lee hit the brakes, and slipped out of the car, staring at his creation with an unearthly sense of déjà vu.

_"Ford, what the hell are you doing!? I told you not to…B-Bill?"_

He was snapped out of the painful memory by the sound of the passenger side door slamming close. "You okay Sir?" Glancing over at Gwendolyn, he nodded with a slight smile. "Yes, I'm fine. Let's just get to work…" Mabel spoke as he rushed over to the machine and began tearing things out and rewiring. "Okay, I understand that this "heart of the universe" stuff…can close the portal. But you guys never explained why Bill would put that energy inside me…" Stanley looked up from the mass of wires to see that the child's head now glowed a vibrant orange which stood out on the red and ebony sky.

A great X of energy was beginning to stretch across the town, with hellfire and madness pouring down from it and raining across the valley.

Shaking himself, he tore his vision away from the mesmerizing rift, and looked back at Mabel. Lee noticed that rocks jittered across the ground and hopped in her direction, and wondered just how much power she contained, like a fleshy battery. Considering himself a scientist first and foremost, Lee felt incredibly stupid for not even considering the question of WHY Bill would give her this power.

He never got to answer her question though, because as he opened his mouth, a twelve year old stepped out from behind the machine. Slumped against him was an alternate version of Mabel, this one covered in a higher level of bruises and scratches, and definitely not glowing. The boy gave him a stony glare and removed a revolver from his pocket. "Turn the portal to our dimension…the one that you were trapped in…turn it now so that we can go back."

Lee glanced at the terrified Mabel and came to the assumption that this person was not a nice one. He had a vague memory of being hauled into the basement by the alternate Ford, as two voices entered the house, one of them belonging to the young man with the gun. Blood dripped from his unsteady hand, and his tangled hair whipped in the gusts of wind which exited the portal and joined the storm. On his forehead, lay what must have been a scar, made to resemble the big dipper.

"I'm sorry but I can't do that…even if I wanted to I couldn't."

The boy shook his head and staggered forward as Gwendolyn snuck around behind him. "No, no, no…you made this, I KNOW YOU DID. You made this mess, and your going to fix it…" "That's what I'm trying to-" "YOU ARE GOING TO GET ME AND MY SISTER BACK TO OUR WORLD! DO YOU HEAR ME!" Tears began to trickle down the child's cheeks, and Mabel watched with odd fascination. Lee rose to his feet with hands in the air, "Listen…the whole world is in danger. I'm sure that we can help your sister once the machine is-"

"NO! NOT GOOD ENOUGH! There isn't anything in this god forsaken world which can cure her…only returning to our world. YOU. ARE NOT. GOING TO. TURN THAT MACHINE OFF. UNTIL WE CAN SAFELY ENTER AND REACH OUR WORLD!" He said this with so much venom, that Lee felt compelled to stand back. "Listen I-" "NO! YOU LISTEN! I DON'T HAVE THE TIME TO FIGHT YOU OVER THIS ANY LONGER! I want you to fix the portal so that it leads to my world _THAT _was the original function, and _THAT _is possible to recreate." The boy swung his hand to the side and teal energy sent Gwendolyn flying through the wind shield. "DO it…DO IT!"

Lee glanced at the car and saw signs of movement. Returning his gaze to the boy, he shook his head and took a step forward. "No." The boy stared at him incredulously, and the gun shook harder as Lee took another step forward. "What the fuck do you mean NO? I have killed people before…horribly, gruesomely, SHE-"" he pointed to Mabel, who continued to watch the proceedings silently. "-can attest to that…" Lee took another step forward and watched the boy stumble backwards. "I know you can kill me. But you won't. I'm no good to you dead…besides…you don't want to kill anyone right now, you just want to save your sister. And you'll both die if the demons keep coming in…"

"G-get back!"

"I had a brother a long time ago…I would have done anything for him…"  
"I SAID GET BACK!"

A wave of energy struck Lee, and he sent him skidding across the ground. Groaning, he sat up and removed a small bomb from his pocket. He spoke as he stuffed it into the portal's workings and tore wires out in the process. "Besides…I don't care whether I die here or not. This whole mess is because of me…because I didn't trust my brother, because I wanted to know too much, because I listened to the voices in my head instead of my fellow human beings…once this is over, I won't want to invent anything…I will have destroyed my magnum opus. No friends, no family, just nightmares of being tortured by the one I love." He punched the wires lightly, wishing that he had the strength of Ford. "I will have nothing to live for when the world is safe…"

The boy stared at him for a long moment, his labored breathing growing worse by the second. "You might not care what happens to you…" His hand reached out and teal energy yanked Mabel into his grasp. "But she is the KEY! SHE HAS THE ENERGY, YOU _need _HER." Pressing his gun to the side of the girl's head, he spoke as she struggled against him. "Do it. Do it or I kill her." Lee looked at the fear in his grand-niece's eyes, and felt a pang of instinct overcome his methodical manner.

Then the man of his nightmares began laughing.

The boy turned at the sound, and Stan Gleeful swung the hatchet through the air as he approached. "Bravo boy, your finally acting like a Gleeful…doing whatever the hell you want to get what you want." He clapped lightly, and the boy let go of Mabel out of complete shock. "You…your dead…I KILLED YOU!" The demon tamer chuckled, "Oh right, THAT. Heh, heh, funny story actually…" Lee pushed himself to his feet, gripping rock in his right hand. "You uh, killed my brother…which is understandable since it was dark…of course he wasn't the one that tried to molest your sister. The drip deserve it though for being in my room, tryin' to steal my stuff and skip town…I guess some people just ain't comfortable torturing a version of themselves. Wimp."

Lee straightened up, when Mabel collapsed on the ground, her body now completely neon with energy. Backing away, the boy glanced at her, before raising the gun. "You-you-you…" Stanford rolled his eyes, and scooped up the unconscious Mabel, throwing her pulsating form over his shoulder.

He stared into the boys eyes with a callous grin, "I blew up the portal on the other side…dippy. You can't get back home…and neither can your pathetic excuse of a sister." "N-no…" Stanford nodded, and removed the boy's amulet. "Yep. No way back, whatever is happening to her now…it'll kill her here. Shame…I don't think she'd want to die so far from home." The boy stared back for a long moment, and then raised his gun. "YOU SON OF A-" The old man punched in the stomach hard, and kicked him over. Lying under the weight of his sister, the boy coughed up blood. It mixed with sobs which began to run down his cheek as he apologized to his unconscious sister.

His great uncle rolled his eyes at the display, and fixed his gaze upon Lee. "Now then…where were we?"

**=^-0-^=**

Agent Powers peaked around the alley corner again. His sharp eyes watched as a lycanthrope tore into an incubus. His fingers tightened around his gun, while he could hear Trigger's rattling in his unsteady hands.

"Pull yourself together agent." His ward nodded, and wiped sweat from his head. "Sir…I don't think that w-w-we can handle this large a…phenomenon…"

Fixing a glare upon Trigger, Powers nearly lurched forward with the force behind his words. "Oh, YOU DON'T SAY?!" Trigger flinched, and gave a light apology as a truck flew overhead. Turning back towards the street, Powers noticed a thin line running through the air. A sliver of void bobbed towards him slowly. At first he rubbed his eyes, taking the two-dimensional form for a trick of the light. Then it grew slightly, and began to move at a quicker pace. The hairs on the back of his neck to raise, and he gestured for Trigger to join him. "Come over here, there's something strange-" Before he finished his sentence, the sliver had lounged forward, and Power's jumped to the side to watch it collide with his partner. The resulting flash of light nearly blinded him, and when he opened his eyes cause for alarm had grown.

"TRIGGER!"

His fellow agent levitated a few feet above the ground, his body convulsing with energy. Had Power's been more attentive, he would have noticed that Trigger's shadow had disappeared. He was, however, slightly preoccupied by the black liquid which poured from Trigger's orifices and splashed against the hot pavement. He stared with widening eyes and growing terror as Trigger's head snapped forward, and he grinned with black stained teeth and azure eyes.

_"Trigger…is gone, mortal." _

Swallowing with extreme difficulty, Powers raised his gun. "GET OUT OF HIM, NOW! I know how you demons operate…get out of his body immediately." The being laughed mockingly and played with Trigger's pistol. _"I prefer to be inside a flesh puppet…so take your best shot buddy." _Staring at the leaking form, Powers stuck the barrel of his gun in the creature's face. It continued to smile as he considered firing. Then the older agent grabbed his possessed partner, and slammed him into a conductor box. The electricity sent the void creature screaming and sprinting from Trigger's body. It crawled up the building, and disappeared from view.

Powers waited until Trigger let out a groan of pain, and his breath returned to normal. Then he stood, let out a breath, and removed his walkie-talkie. "Command? We have a Level 4, Code Red situation."

**=^-0-^=**

Bill gripped his bruised opponent, as his form began to burst into fire. _Human beings are worthless worms who are only good for whining about their problems, and they turn to folks like us to solve them, because they are too stubborn to find common ground between other humans. But you…you are worse…^ _Glowing red, he stabbed a semi-ethereal hand through Will, and enjoyed the scream which the motion produced. His voice came out as a volcanic roar, and echoed through the bloody burning valley. _^You squander your gifts for the "common good" when all you really care about is freeing your concise and making yourself feel better…^ _His fists worked in a flurry of power as he elaborated. A stream of images slashed into his foe's mind, along with his scorching fists.

_^You manipulate,_^

Stanford Gleeful kicked Lee to the ground, and laughed as his great niece wept over his twin.

_#AGH!#_

_^Murder,^_

Wendy tore through demons and humans alike, having by now lost all sense of human consciousness.

_#Ughhh…#_

_^And claim that you are doing it all for the greater good,^_

_#P-please…#_

Paz bent over the torn up Gideon, as a pack of Cambion's approached her desperate form.

The Pine parent's car lay smashed against a redwood, burning out.

Gwendolyn held her side with a bleeding hand, struggling to exit the car as the portal sent strands of destruction ripping across the world.

_^Why? Because you get off on being better than other people, on having power…on being smarter. You are me, except I survive…because people don't want a savior in this or any other universe…^_

He moved his face close to Will's and spat in his eyes as he dropped him. _^They want a sick fuck who can answer all their problems in five seconds. And because of that…they are all going to BURN IN THE REFUSE OF CIVILIZATION!^ _He cackled maniacally as he let go his wounded foe and watched as he plummeted towards the hell below.

Will could feel himself falling, but his form was too torn up for him to manifest levitation. Instead, he felt his grip on Robert's body slipping along. _I'm sorry guys…I failed._

* * *

_ **Hope you enjoyed!**_


	13. Battle for the ages

**_Warning: Contains death and extreme violence. Also a possibly unnecessary level of characters crying…_**

**_*Shrugs* Oh well. :)_**

**Chapter 13: Battle of the Ages **

A cloud of red stained the black sky, its light snuffing out stars one by one. Black eyes blinked into existence and surveyed the land, impressed by their puppet's work.

They watched as Paz bent over her best friend, cradling his bloody head in her arms. She had managed to drag him behind an overturned car, but feared that any further movement would cause him great harm. She whispered all the lies that she could think of, just to keep him awake. She told him that everything would be fine, she told him that Dipper would be back any second, and that they would get him to the hospital.

He merely stared up at her, every moment causing his eyelids to droop closer shut. Finally, when she had begun rambling about the wonderful future they would have, he reached up and touched her cheek. It felt wet from tears, and hot to the touch. Her own hand tightened around his and gave it a powerful squeeze, as though she could revitalize him in this manner. "Paz, I want you to know something…"

Her sapphire eyes locked onto him with crippling beauty, and she nodded lightly. Moving his gaze to the void above, Gideon took this as a better time than any. He lowered his vision and focused on her as he spoke. "I…I kissed you…while you w-were unconscious…I thought we w-were going t-to die in the f-fire…and I w-wanted t-t-to have k-kissed y-a girl…well, I wanted to kiss…you, before I died. I'm sorry…"

"But why would you-"

"I…love you."

Paz continued to stare, unable to summon a response. Gid meanwhile, kept on speaking regardless of the pain it caused in his chest. She had to know, and he had to be the one to tell her. "That's why I freaked out about you liking Dipper…it's why I freaked out about you and "Norman" at the beginning of the summer…I've always liked you, and now I think I love you." Paz felt more tears produce, and struggled to contain them. "G-Gid?"

"I think you are beautiful, and hilarious, and you make me feel better than anything in the world…even when I'm in this much pain." Paz looked down at him and understood the situation. "N-no…no…please Gid, you aren't going to d-di-"

He removed his hand from hers, and she found herself missing the feel of his soft hand. "I'm sorry Paz, it's not your fault I'm a coward. I just…my life wasn't very good until you came along, and I didn't want to lose you…"

The light in his eyes began to fade, and Paz ceased to care that a gigantic albino hydra was plowing through Main Street. Or that a manta-ray like creature hovered above, and spat lasers from its eye stalks. Or even that an obese humanoid spat up lesser demons, and belched hellfire as it rolled over everything. She didn't care that Wendy was currently locked in a cataclysmic battle with multi-crocodile headed monster.

All that she cared about, was that her best friend lay at her feet, dying.

_What's the point of stopping the apocalypse if your loved ones won't be in the world afterwards? _

Just as the hopelessness began to crush her sobbing form…the cavalry arrived.

A mighty horn sent birds piercing the sky, and attracted the attention of the mighty black eyes. Paz turned away from her fallen comrade in time to watch a battalion of Manotaurs, riding dinosaurs, charge down Main Street armed to the teeth and wearing armor forged from an alien space craft. They crashed into a legion of war demons. They were followed by a gigantic Minotaur the size of a water tower. He kicked a truck into the enemy ranks, and bellowed with power.

From the other side of town, a monster made out of size changed gnomes darkened the town with its shadow. It punched the obese spawner, who vomited acid in return.

The hydra was overtaken by a dozen MultiBear clones, and the Beholders were plagued by a swarm of faeries. A horde of disembodied hands erupted from the sewer system, and the Hand Witch cackled as they began punching, pinching, and swinging every item they could get their hands on.

The Island Head floated into town, munching on gargoyles, and the Gobblewonker jumped onto land to begin devouring succubus. Fiddleford McGucket laughed insanely from within a gigantic exoskeleton, formed out of all the robots he had ever created, stomped through town, firing plasma, missiles, dropping dynamite, and toxic ooze.

A herd of unicorns charged in, impaling lesser demons on their impeccable horns. They were followed by Dipper Pines, carrying a spear, coated in war paint, riding a Gremgoblin. As he did, he held the journal in his hand like a bible and quoted from it. The enchanted word caused dead citizens of the town to rise in zombie form, and climb onto a twelve hoofed behemoth.

President Quentin Trembly brought up the rear by flying into town, atop a magnificent bald eagle, and firing fireworks at his foes.

Paz was shocked into reality when Gid closed his eyes and spoke with the slightest smile, "I'm glad I lived long enough to witness that…"

**=^-0-^=**

Lee hit the ground with a groan, his opponent approaching at a steady pace.  
"You know…decapitation isn't so bad…"

Spinning upwards, Lee grabbed a rock and tossed it into the torturer's midsection. Stanford grabbed the rock, and tossed it behind himself as Lee backed away. "Why would you want to keep the portal open? We'll all die…" Stanford snickered, and gestured towards the possessed old man which flew through the air tossing golden fire. "I am a DEMON TAIMER! God poindexter…you really aren't as smart as you look." Lee bolted over to the right of the portal as the hatchet whizzed through the air. "If I deliver him his battery-" He gestured to the sleeping Mabel on his shoulder, "-then he will reward me with incredible power. He might even let me have to myself for a little while…" Lee shook with rage, "That demon tricked me, my brother, and YOUR brother, why the hell would he hold up his side of the bargain?!"

The murderer shrugged, and grinned as he removed Mabel from his shoulder and lay her on the ground. "Cause I can kill her if he doesn't give me the power first. Geeze, you really don't know how capitalism works…"

Lee noticed that the portal was flickering on and off, with teal light flashing every few seconds. Timing it perfectly, he leaped through the hole when the energy was vacant, and pressed himself against the cave wall as Stanford charged to where he had been moments before.

Glaring at him from the other side of the hissing energy, Stanford glowered at him. "C'mon six-fingers…you ain't going nowhere. Give yourself up and I'll make it quick…" Lee reached into his pocket and removed one of the rocket pods which he had created whilst in the Neither Zone. "I don't think so…"

Pressing the activation button, he fired the pod at his opponent and watched it collide with his stomach.

Stanford was flung back, and collided with the truck. During his moment of haplessness, Lee jumped through the portal, and picked up Mabel. Just as he began to dash towards the path, a whirling sound filled the air, and a dull *THUNK* brought a wave of pain to the old man. A shriek of agony tore through Lee, causing him to lose control of his right arm and most of his body. The searing pain turned to a vague, dull ache which was only bearable due to the decades of torture which he had endured.

Collapsing to his knees, he reached up to remove the ax which Stanford had thrown into his right shoulder blade, but a foot had already stamped down upon his left arm. He squirmed under the duress, and screamed when Stanford yanked the ax free with a chuckle. This pain was almost as bad this time, and he could feel shattered bone tearing through his flesh.

"Nice try six-fingers…but no cigar. You failed at this, just like you did at escaping my hut until One-eye and a teenage girl rescued you. Just like you did at building this here portal…until you started receiving a little _help _from the other side. You can't disable what you made…because this-" He pointed towards the portal, "-is your legacy. You're the guy who invented the doomsday device…the mad scientist. And it's time for you to get killed by the monster you summoned."

He raised the ax into the air, and kicked Lee's hand when he tried to remove a secondary rocket pad. It rolled besides the awakening Mabel, and its cold spherical surface touched her forehead. Lee felt tears run wet the gravel below his face as the pain and desperation became too much to bear. "Hey, maybe in hell you can meet up with the guy who invented atomic bombs…eh?" The ax cut through the air, but never struck his spinal cord.

A boot had already slammed into Stanford's stomach, and sent the elderly sadist stumbling towards the portal. Gwendolyn spoke with fury in her eyes, picking up the ax and launching it towards him. "DIE YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

The hatchet flung through the air, and embedded into the cavern wall. It pinned his wife beater shirt there, and he boomed with laughter. He tore off that sleeve as he stepped forward. "That's the best you got girly? I'll be sure to keep you alive a little bit longer than six-fingers…maybe I'll tie you up and let you watch as make the battery suck my-" A hiss filled the air, and panic filled Stanford's eyes as the goth smiled cruelly.

Mabel raised her head just in time to watch Stanford move an inch, and be sliced in half by the flickering rift.

Split straight down the middle, one leg disappeared into the Neither Zone while the other fell over with a thud. His guts, or half of thereof, splattered across the ground and stained the machine.

**=^-0-^=**

Dipper yanked his spear free of a Bajang demon, and heard the sounds of crying. Turning, he saw Paz and the fallen Gideon Pines highlighted by the red blotch which stained the sky. Sprinting over to his friends, he realized just how bloody Gid was with every foot.

Paz cradled her best friend's body, as Dipper found himself unable to do anything other than stare. _He had seen his own sister (who turned out to be an alternative version of his sister) die. He could handle this. He had to. He had to be strong for her. _Placing a hand upon her the tear in her blue sweater, which ran up her shoulder, Dipper felt his throat tightening at the awful sound of her crying. "I-" Her reddening eyes moved to him, as though he had just appeared. All of a sudden he felt useless and distressed for them both. How the hell could he comfort her? Words could not undo death regardless of how much he wished they could. What was he going to say anyway? _"Sorry I couldn't be here to prevent the death of your soulmate, I felt the need to recruit a few extra weirdos. _He didn't feel directly responsible, but simultaneously felt that his presence was obsolete in this situation. He could not fix it.

So instead, he did whatever he did whenever he found himself unable to solve Mabel's problems with logic.

He hugged her.

At first she reciprocated the embrace tenderly, then she held him tightly. He felt her body rise and fall with breath under him, and enjoyed her warmth. He also found himself profoundly guilty at enjoying her scent and the feel of her breasts against his chest.

Gid's dead eyes seemed to stare up at him with accusation, and he almost let go of her. _The corpse of the guy who loved her is lying right not a foot away, and all you can do is practically fondle her. _

But that didn't matter. She wasn't an object with which he should avoid physical contact with, because her dead best friend never had the guts to touch her. She was a fragile human being, just like him, who needed someone to hold at the moment. He would never see her again after sending her back to her world, and refused himself the right to feel guilty for providing peace of mind for her.

Then she croaked out a few words, and broke his train of thought.

"I'm sorry Paz…what was that?" She broke the embrace, and left him longing for more closeness as she pulled away and stared with still wet eyes. "Promise me I won't lose you, Dipper."

The child investigator frowned, but she cut him off before he could shrug off her fears. "I lost Robert to the demon I thought was my friend. I lost Gid to a monster, and I lost my parents to god knows what! I am NOT going to lose _you_." She gripped his vest and pulled him close, staring deep into his eyes with abnormal determination.

Dipper found the intensity of her words enough to get the nod of the head, but apparently it did not suffice.

"Promise me Dipper Pines. Promise me that you _will not _die or leave me."

The tween felt his heartstrings tugged by the request, but also wrenched in the opposite direction by the cold reality. "Paz…I don't think-"  
"PROMISE ME!" Her hands tightened on his vest, and he found it difficult to breath, let alone think with those terror filled eyes focused on him. "I CAN'T lose you…" Her determination turned into desperation, and he could see her struggling to keep from shattering into hysterics.

Dipper had to nod. He could stand to see her this way. She needed something to hold onto at the moment, something to keep her sane enough that she could survive in the apocalyptic battle they faced.  
Even if that thing turned into a lie which made her hate him, when the time came to return her to where she belonged.

It did not occur to him that with Gid dead and her parents missing, that world only served as a grim reminder. He might have eventually come to this conclusion, but would never really get the chance.

Because at that moment, a slaughter-coated werewolf approached with a maddened howl.

**=^-0-^=**

Bill raised himself towards the rift, staring into the void. Yes the machine had been shut off, but he still had an army down below, one which the variety of supernatural creatures and allies would only serve as a distraction.

Up above his "friends" lurked, their massive octagonal eyes surveying this world. They could see every soul, every piece of gold, everything. The past four thousand years he had worked, arranging astronomical events, changing DNA in the womb to make certain that a certain person would do a certain thing. He had given more "subtle hints" in human minds than he could count on a Hekatonkheires hands. Nightmares, "prophetic" dreams, he had created and extended so many desires. He had saved Shermy Pines from death on multiple occasions. He had engineered every thought leading up to this moment, from the Arthur and Ruby Pines decision to send their children up north, to Stan's decision to tell Lee about how he accidentally damaged his perpetual motion machine.

And he knew that his counterpart would be doing likewise, because let's face it, a repackaged dream-demon is a dream-demon nonetheless. Will had no doubt been the cause of just as many assassinated presidents as Bill had, the only difference was that Bill had the guts to wear the 16th president's hat as a trophy of his accomplishment, rather than drown in guilt over one petty human life. Wars had been started for this moment, suicides, plagues, and storms had all been utensils in his toolbox.

The hardest part was that he had made to make deal after deal so that he could control the probability of the portal, and influence which of the multiversal outlets it linked to. But he knew that his counterpart would be doing the same, and they linked perfectly. The moment Lee had finished constructing the device according to his specifications, he entered the other world. Quickly he got a grasp of who his counterpart's pawns were. It all came together quickly, as several personalities were required to be adjusted, both in his and in his enemy/ally's world. Send a few nightmare's Dipper Gleeful's way, convince Stanley Gleeful to give the kid the book that "solves" his nightmares, than possess an agent to approach the Pines family about their children preforming in a show. The rest his counterpart did. At least he assumed, he didn't know how much Will had done to make Stanford into a pedophile, but he had to give the rectangle props for ingenuity.

Now his employers would reap the harvest he had sown, and they would reward him the god-like power that he so clearly deserved.

A bellow came from below, and he cast Stan Pine's bitter eyes upon the machine which McGucket piloted. It smashed through his army with alarming power, crushing enemies and firing off laser which surprised a resident of the Nether Realm, with their chaotic nature. Growling, he flew down towards the fight, his hands burning with turquois fire.

He had waited four millennium for this deal, he could wait another seven minutes.

**=^-0-^=**

_#I'm sorry#_

Gid looked around. He was back on the hill, except this time it everything was blurry. The picturesque scene had turned into a Van Goh. The edges of the fake reality blurred and mixed to produce colors which he found himself uncertain of ever previously experiencing.

Then he heard the voice again, and found that a shadow crossed him. Will stared down at his with a singular, mournful eye. _#I'm so sorry…# _He thought he could see tears welling in that gigantic, glowing eye. It absorbed all of him, and he found himself unable to speak as his soul lifted from the physical realm.

_#Don't worry, I'll take care of them…# _

Somehow he doubted that to be sure, but his mid felt so fuzzy, that he could not remember who "they" were, except that they were important. There was a "she" somewhere in there, but whoever that girl was, he could no longer see or remember her.

**=^-0-^=**

Paz stood between the lycanthrope and the injured Dipper. It had thrown him to the side like a ragdoll, and now snarled at her with teeth that still had some of Gid's blood on them. The blond held Dipper's spear at the ready, refusing to back down. "IF YOU WANT HIM, YOU HAVE TO GET THROUGH ME!"

Her bravery was met with a bloodcurdling howl, and a swipe. She dodged the red furred claw however, and stabbed her spear towards the creature. Its point, forged by the Manotaurs, dug into the beast's ironhide and pierced its flesh. It roared in agony, and again swiped at her. This time the claw made contact with the girl and she rolled across the ground.

The beast grabbed the bone handle of the spear, and snapped it in two. It did not succeed in removing the fine point which Paz had embedded in its shoulder, but stomped towards her with a drooling mouth. Paz rolled over, and stared at it with a bruise coated face. She kicked a discarded can at it, which bounced off of its leg and rolled down the alley. The beast continued to stalk forward as she sat up and scooted backwards. Blood trickled down her nose as she bumped against the corpse of Gid. Staring down at him, she felt hatred overcome her fear and pain.

She knew him, she knew exactly where he kept his Swiss army knife. _Left handed, left pocket. But he never liked to show that he was left handed, it embarrassed him. _For a moment, sadness quelled the hatred, but as the beast rose up on its forelegs, she tore the knife free from his pocket and charged the beast with a scream.

It knocked her into a pile of trashcans with another blow, and rose up again, to deliver the final blow.

**=^-0-^=**

Dipper Gleeful looked at his unconscious sister, then rose his vision the incredulous doppelgänger who stared at the gore stained portal with tears in her eyes. The humming of its engines collapsing turned to sheer serenity, interrupted only by the voices of the people who he didn't give two shits about, and the crackling of thunder.

_No, I'm not gonna let her die. _He moved over to the damaged truck and lay her down on the backseat. Her head felt warm with a raging fever, and he leaned over to press a kiss upon it. Hell, he had lived in his own filth for two weeks, he could stand a little sweat on his lips. Turning away from his twin, he fixed his gaze upon the body that Bill had possessed. It flew through the air, firing massive beams of crackling yellow energy. Then he moved his attention to the Goth girl, or more specifically, the old man which she nurtured.

"Get. Up." They both looked his way, and he clutched his amulet with one hand and his gun in the other. "You. _Old man_. You are coming with me. Get in the car now or I'll kill the cashier." The redhead stood up with a snarl, her hands clenching Gleeful's hatchet. But the elderly genius gripped her jacket sleeve, and gave her a meaningful look. Her face softened and after a moment's hesitation, she helped him to his feet, "Alright, alight…I'll come with you…" Displeased with the speed at which the injured old man moved, Dipper rolled his eyes and lifted Lee into the air with his amulet. He ignored how his sister's counterpart glowed with crackling energy, finding that it was not his top priority.

He buckled the old man into the passenger seat, and spoke as he began to swerve towards the cliff. "Don't worry, I won't kill you, and if you do as you're told…and both of us survive…" He looked at the backseat, and made both buckles wrap around Mabel to keep her secure. "I'll heal your shoulder."

Slamming the gas, he veered off the cliff and felt his eyes blear as the wind hit them through the hole of a windshield. The old man began shouting at him for being a liar, but he wasn't listening. He raised his hand lowered the velocity of the car with his telekinesis, and continued to speed the moment they hit the ground, now serving between redwoods. The motion clearly caused the old man pain, but Dipper cared as little about that as he did about the massive gash in the sky.

All he cared about was her.

**=^-0-^=**

Dipper Pines stared at the creature about to kill Paz. The sunlight hit it's arched back, and he realized with opening eyes, that it's fur looked particularly *. Then his eyes widened, and he did what he did best.

He put two and two together, and made five.

"WENDY!" The creature snapped its head in his direction, and turned away from the defeated pre-teen. "WENDY…I…I'm sorry…I couldn't…I should have known." The creature watched with black eyes as it neared him, and its growl growing lower and lower by the moment. "I'm sorry…I'm…really, really…sorry." The creature's fur began to bristle, and as he stared into its skull, Dipper knew that there was a touch of Wendy left inside. "Please, please just…Bill tricked you, just like he did me…and everyone. But you…you can fight it…I know you can…" The beast scooped him up in a claw and dangled him above it's mouthful of steak knife teeth.

"I know that you can be more than a monster…" His throat tightened, and he felt himself on the verge of tears. "I know what you were before…I can see right now…why can't you?" his voice came out broken, and he knew that she could most likely not understand him, and in a few moments, he would be consumed. He expected the last sound he heard would be Paz's cry, followed by the crunching of his own bones. But instead he heard a voice, distorted with pain and confusion. _"Dippingsauce…?"_ He opened his eyes to see a half changed Wendy, her eyes becoming less and less animalistic as she stared at him. "Oh god, Wendy! It's you, you're coming back! I'm so sorry that I didn't-" She raised a finger to silence his apologies, and stared at him with unquenchable regret. She was about to speak, when a barrage of fire filled the air.

Dipper stared as bullets hissed through the air and embedded in his sweet heart. Blood sprayed onto him as a machine gun cut into Wendy's changing skull and caused the transformation to cut short. He fell backwards, and hit the ground with a scream as Wendy's half-bestial form collapsed. Three men in military attire, wearing gas masks, picked up the corpse and moved it towards the large black truck which the machine gunner was stationed upon. One of them picked up him when he attempted to approach the body, and tried to speak over his cries. His voice was too muffled however, and he could say nothing to stop Dipper to reverting to a crying child. "NO! NO! W-Wendy…" He stared with a trembling lip, as the men began to file out of the truck and begin fire on anything and everything which looked supernatural. A special government insignia was pasted to the side of the truck, and Dipper watched as Agent powers began assigning jobs and positions.

_I did this. They wouldn't have stayed in town if I hadn't…_

He watched as one of the soldiers carried Paz onto the van despite her protests, and another one carried the dead Gideon Pines solemnly. Kicking the man holding him, Dipper ran. He ran from the men who only thought that they had killed a monster and saved two children. He ran from the cackles of the man who had once been his great uncle. He ran from the rumbling sky, with its peering eyes and the ashen hands which reached towards the ground with ravenous hunger.

He ran till the sea-sky ceased to be above him and there was nowhere left to run.

**=^-0-^=**

Mabel continued to stare at the guts of Stanford Gleeful, her skin cracking like magma. Energy oozed forth as well, and she felt her sadness, hopelessness, and anger in that energy. Lightning now streaked towards her as might hands lowered from the seeping wound in the universe.

Gwendolyn stared at the sight, as Mabel muttered the same thing over and over again. _Why did it have to happen this way? _She blamed the girl who wasn't Wendy. She yelled at her, but the ginger did not move. She wasn't listening, too mesmerized by the godlike hands which streaked through the air. Wendy would have never killed anyone, she thought. But all this girl cared about was revenge. She could have knocked out the old man, but instead, she _killed _him. It wasn't fair, it just wasn't fair. None of it. The death, the pain, the SUFFERING. And that terrible, mind-bendingly awful laughter. All of it HAD to end. At any cost, it had to.

Turning away from the brimstone which rained down upon the town, Mabel fixated on the metal triangle which had brought so much misery.

_It HAS to end. No matter the cost. _Reaching out, she pressed her fingers against the machine, and with the static which coursed through her, she realized why Bill had given her the Heart of the Universe. She was his battery, his secret weapon, a bomb to be set off in case something went wrong.

_ Guess what buddy…"_This bomb decides when she goes off." The explosion tore through the entire mountain. It sent Gwendolyn tumbling off the cliff and crashing into a pine tree twenty feet below. Mabel felt a sense of absolution as she licked the button on the rocket pad, and launched herself skyward. Chunks of the mountain flew everywhere, crushing trees, rolling downhill, and smashing against the side of Mount valor. She streaked through the atmosphere, her skin resistant to the heat and clothes resistant to the heat due to her condition.

Staring into the vastness of space, she felt the utter silence bring with it closure. She stared down at the world, having finally seen all of it. Then gravity took hold, and she was plummeting back to Earth. _Don't worry bro, I'm coming._

**_Submit who you think will die next! :)_**


	14. Chaos and Order

**Chapter 14: Order and Chaos (Or "Shit goes down" as I like to call it)**

**_Sorry if the deaths seem overdone and overdramatic, it's hard to balance this many characters and it's realistic that most of them would not survive a situation this dangerous. ONLY ONE OR TWO CHAPTERS LEFT!_**

Paz sat in the back of the truck, the Gideon's corpse lying on the table in front of her.

Laughter filled the radio of each soldier and they buckled over in pain. The truck swerved and the back doors flung open in time to send the soldiers flying out. Paz gripped the seatbelt, and watch vacantly as the table carrying the corpse of her best friend rolled out.

_^HAHAHAHAAHA! Nice job MagnifyingGlass, your inspiring speech did exactly what it was supposed to. CONVINCE YOUNG MEN _Soldiers surrounded her, yelling over their radios as guns blazed and cars exploded outside. She felt guilty for not being outside and helping, but simultaneously knew that she wouldn't be of any help.

They had failed. The townspeople, her friends, the soldiers, they would all die.

Looking out the bulletproof window, she stared at the tear in the universe which continued to grow as those awful hands extended out of it. Their sequoia sized fingers grew closer and closer to the ground as she felt reality slipping away. The soldier's communications became muffled, the air turned stale, and then was filled with electricity. The fire which ravaged so much of the town turned yellow, then blue, then a neon purple.

The creatures which had fought the demons, had either turned tale or gone feral. And the demons kept coming, the bullets of the United States Government apparently being ineffective against such enemies. The wreckage of McGucket's exoskeleton had crushed a few of them as it fell over, but had also, undoubtedly crushed a few humans. Its creator had not left the metal shell, giving the impression that he had perished in the flood of electricity and fire.

_TO DIE!" _Paz stared up at the possessed human with pure hatred. _"Of course, he would be recruited anyway come WWIII, since he has to register for the draft just to vote…probably best that the girl he loved sent him to die, instead of some old xenophobe." _Paz removed the bloodstained multi-tool. "What do you want?"

_ ^HA! Straight to the point…just like your parents.^ _"What do you-" _^Just like ol'_

_ PineTree. It's all about the answers, the big bad ending…I suppose that's why he ran after the girl he ACTUALLY loved died._^ Paz began to shake with rage, but kept silent as the soldiers began to stand and raise their guns. _^Shame that he broke his promise so soon. I guess "I'll never leave" just doesn't mean the same thing. I seem to remember your parents promising you something similar when you were just a wee lass…^_

She stood up, glaring into the yellow energy which surrounded his pupils. "WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT MY PARENTS!?"

He smirked, and flicked his hand to make a toss the soldier's further back, breaking their guns over them. Then, leaning forward, he grinned wildly. _^EVERYTHING.^ _He tittered as he turned away, _^But what fun would it be if I told you…^_

Screaming with rage, she leaped forward and stabbed the corkscrew into his left eye. His agony rang reverberated with Bill's voice, and the body collapsed into unconsciousness.

Staring down at him, removed her bloody hands and stared at them in horror. _Oh god, oh god, oh-_A flash of light lit up the sky. Paz raised her head and watched as an orb of swirling energy burned through the atmosphere. The army of demons stopped in its tracks, as the ball tore through one of the mighty arms which extended from the void. Paz climbed on top of a pile of rubble, drawn like a moth to a flame. She could see, in the center of that ball of rainbow fire, a little girl. A little girl who she knew.

_ Mabel. _

_ Hope. _Paz watched the arms retract, and watched the comet slam into the center of the valley.

A cacophony of color streamed through the valley and blinded her to all else.

**=^-0-^=**

Dipper Gleeful had cruised along, using his amulet to slow the car's descent enough that they were able to hit the ground running. He was too focused on dodging trees and dissuading the old man's questions as to his mental aptitude. So he only saw the bright light in the sky, and then the wave of multiversal energy.

He lost control of the car almost immediately with the wave, his whole body turning warm as his vision turned grey. Yellow flashes of life tore through that grey, and he saw visions of being happy, of having a family, of having his sister back.

Each possibility tore through his vision, and the grey pulled apart at the last second. _Shi-_ The car slammed into a burning redwood. As they neared it however, the tree ceased to burn. He felt the tires pop and lurched with every circle that the car made. Fire exploded in front of him, its oppressive heat flashing different colors. Coughing, he felt his scars begin to fade into his being. The old man unbuckled himself, his shoulder suddenly completely healed.

The sound of his exit awoke Dipper, and he unbuckled himself to watch the old man remove Mabel from the backseat tenderly. The door however, was jammed against the redwood, and the flames grew in their intensity. Dipper climbed onto the passenger side, and felt a six fingered hand close on the collar of his ratty magician's costume. His suffocation ended as he was yanked out of the car.

The energy continued to hum inside his lungs, his nose, and his brain as the fire in the car shrank away like the fire on the tree and disappeared. Looking up, he found the old man staring down at him, with Mabel snuggled in his arms. "Why *HACK* did you…do that?" The scientist looked down at him with pity, "I'm not going to let a couple of kids die. You two have your whole lives ahead of you. I don't. My life has been scars and misery, trickery and regret. I can't sleep without seeing the face of my brother, the moment he realized what he had done. I can't look at a screen without being reminded of being brainwashed. I…I don't have any children, and I've never been good at talking to women, I don't have anything to live for. You _do_."

Dipper stared at him incredulously, as the scars self-mutilation he had performed to gain demonic power and knowledge, faded into his skin and were converted into glowing ambrosia. Looking up, he realized that the same thing was happening to his savior and the girl in his arms. _Mabel, scar free. The things I did to her, disappearing… _Looking around, Dipper realized that everything was growing, healing, and evolving. The trees grew larger, and spawned dozens of glowing buds despite it not being in their nature to do so. The ground softened, and bits of blue grass sprung up all over.

"What…what happened?" He looked back at the old man, and thought he saw wrinkles disappearing. "The blood of the multiverse, is spilling all over here." Dipper frowned, "I know about the multiverse, but…I'm more of a mythology and demonogly guy, what again, is the blood of the multiverse?" He almost laughed at his own casualness, but at the moment, he couldn't be anything but polite. Everything that could be negative, seemed distant from their moment of paradise. Lee smirked, and gestured for him to follow.

"Why Choice of course. Choice is happening."

**=^-0-^=**

_Several minutes earlier_

Dipper ran through the forest, feeling the whole world crumbling around him. His vision blurred with tears and heat as the trees were set fire to, one by one. A rock plummeted from the hellsky and struck his shoulder. He screamed, and tripped over a log. He went sprawling across the gravel filled hill, as the shadow of a massive arm covered him. Now shrouded in darkness, he stumbled over to a stump. His arm trembled with pain, as his the wind scooped up his cap. Falling down in front of the stump, he watched as the hat batted against the ground and stabbed into the bush.

Too many people were dead, and still the battle had amounted to nothing. He hadn't saved the town, he hadn't saved Wendy or Paz, and he felt more lost than he ever had been. He wanted to be able to hug his sister, and listen to her tell him that it would all be alright. But he didn't know where she was. Everyone who he could trust was gone. And he was a fool to begin with for trusting them. Mabel hadn't told him about this "Heart of the Universe", Stan hadn't told him anything about this portal, and Wendy hadn't told him about being a werewolf. _He could have saved them, had they trusted him. That was his job wasn't it? The one who saves people…if he couldn't do that, than what the hell could he? _

But he wasn't supposed to trust anyone, because when you trust people, you give them a chance to hurt you. Ironically enough, he had trusted them, while EVERYONE had lied to him. Now they would die. He couldn't take solace in that, or in any real revenge. He didn't want them to pay, he just wanted everything to be back to normal.

"DIPPER?!"

The boy turned at the voice, and dashed to his parents. His half-conscious father leaned upon his mother for support, as they ascended the rocky hill. "MOM! DAD!" They stared at him like he was a ghost as half-ran half-stumbled downhill. He wrapped his skimpy arms around them, his voice muffled my shirt of his mother and his own meekness. "I missed you guys so much…" She looked down at him, at the scars and tattoos which covered his revealed skin. At his bleeding shoulder and bruised head. "Oh my god," She wrapped an arm around him and patted his back, "It's alright Dipper, we're here." The tween stepped away to see that his father's leg was twisted unnaturally. Glancing up at his mother, he moved to his dad's left, and helped support him. "Why are you guys here?" His mother waited until they had reached the top of the hill, before speaking. "We came up here to surprise you guys. Where's Mabel?" Dipper shrunk under the question, and Ruby's eyes widened. "Dipper…where, is, your sister?" His red eyes wetted, and he licked his lips. "She…I don't…I don't know."

He couldn't face her shocked stare, and backed away. "She…might be at the top of a mountain…but everything is wrong now…this place it-it-is...different. I should have called you guys before I kept putting her in danger…but I, I wanted to know and I wanted to be something I wasn't…I-I…I'm sorry…" He didn't have any more tears to shed, but his voice broke horribly as she stared at him like a statue. "Look up mom…this is the end. This…I failed."

He needed certainty, he needed escape. He needed his twin.

"Dipper…look up." He raised his vision from the sand and stared at the blinding light which pierced the night sky. Static rushed over his entire body, as the light collided with the earth. A wave of energy coursed through the forest, and spread across the valley. It enveloped him, and all his pain, fear, and agony, ended. He felt as though he had been wrapped in a sea of warm dreams, of utmost protection, of unconditional love. He was surrounded by Mabel.

Picking up his hat, he cast one last look at his parents, before promising that Mabel would be alright. Then he sprinted between the growing pines as the energy coursed around him.

**=^-0-^=**

Stan stood up, his eye repairing as the lifeblood of the universe pooled inside the valley and began to drown everything in new life. A distorted world surrounded him, one in which fire bubbled around and inside demons, causing them to rupture and explode. The bodies of the dead, of whatever species, were dragged into the forest, which now hosted a life of its own. Stars seemed gigantic in the sky, as constellations constantly formed and reformed in his mind. The moon stretched across the sky, surrounding the hole in the dimension which hung above.

Then he noticed a machine which must have been of McGucket's creation, and sprinted over to it. Kicking aside a demon resembling a gremlin, he called out as he reached the side of the enormous machination. "Fiddleford! You in there?" There was a clatter inside as Stan realized that the flames on the machine were purple, and he saw a bony hand break through the glass of one of the many eyes. "Don't worry, I'm coming up." Grabbing a nearby telephone wire, he threw it around an arm of the machine, and began climbing towards the cockpit. "It's okay buddy, I'm coming, I'm coming…" From half way up he could see that the town had almost completely been destroyed. The water tower had a gaping hole in it, Main Street was a clutter of rubble, and smoke rose from the spot where trees concealed his house. _Yeesh, this is not gonna be easy. _He didn't consider the idea that repair might be impossible.

As he reached the cockpit, he grabbed McGucket's hand and lifted him out of the wreckage. "I know that a few moments ago I was laughing like a lunatic and throwing hellfire at you-" The old man smiled up at him. "I remember Stanford, I remember perfectly." He took off his hat and stared up at the star filled sky, "I remember you, I remember Stanley, I remember Bill, and I remember my wife-" A sadness overtook him for a moment, and Stan reached out to place a hand on his shoulder. "It's good to have you back…nerd." The old man grew a look of slight annoyance at the nickname, but smiled good naturedly. "I'm sorry for abandoning you and Stanley when you needed it most…" Stan tried not to choke, "I'm sorry for getting so angry after Lee-" His eyes widened, and he recalled as a spirit, watching his brother leave the portal alongside a girl resembling his cashier girl. "LEE!" McGucket raised an eyebrow as Stan began attempting to climb back down, "Wait a second Stanford!" The con man looked up with his own flash of annoyance, "I've waited thirty years, I think whatever it is can wait a little longer..." McGucket frowned and hopped down onto the arm, "Stop being impatient, I know where we can find him Stanford." He pointed to the massive crater not far away, the one that the massive orb of energy had created. Stan stared at the form resembling his brother, who descended into the crater.

"Oh."

"What, did you think he was just going to stay on the moun-" Stan gripped McGucket's arm halfway through, and yanked him off the arm, before rushing towards the impact. "Yeah, yeah, you can make jokes when we're sure he's okay…" McGucket pulled away and Stan ground to a halt. "C'mon, he's only thirty feet away. I can carry you that far if your legs-" McGucket shook his head, "I can play catch up once I've found my son, I have a lot to apologize for." Stan raised a brow, before smiling and wishing him the best of luck. Then he charged towards his brother, screaming in a fashion which would have attracted attention had there not been no one around.

"LEE! LEE! IT'S ME! I-" He stopped dead at the edge of the crater, and stared down at the lifeless brunette who lay in the center of the pit. Lee crouched over her with a stony look on his face, the alternate Pacifica beside him, holding her hands to her face. A Goth girl stood behind him, staring at the child stoically. Shock was followed by action then rage, Stan muttered every curse in the English language as he descended the impact. _I swear to god, if Bill hurt her I will-_As he hopped over the crack in the earth which ran twenty feet deep, he noticed that the tear in the universe above, was no sowing up like everything else. In fact, it widened as energy crackled downwards and was absorbed by something behind him.

_^Ahahahahaha, when are you humans gonna learn that you can't kill something which isn't alive?^ _He felt fear then hatred take hold at the sound of that obnoxious laughter, and swiveled to see Bill Cipher staring down at him with a red pupil. "What the hell did you do to Mab-" The demon flicked slashed across his face with a half-ethereal three fingered claw, and he fell backwards with a scream. _^A' stop your whinin', the little brat would have died with dignity had everything gone according to plan. UNFORTUNATELY,^ _He turned towards Lee, who looked first at him, and then at his psychically injured twin. _^SOMEONE, decided to be show up to the party…when they weren't even invited.^ _Lee spread his arms and told Paz and Gwendolyn to run. _^If you and gloomy Corduroy hadn't arrived, then ShootingStar would have gone off on MY TERMS, and helped me drill a hole in the Earth for the Pluckers…^ _Stan held his side, his mind beginning to heal due to the energy which still pulsated throughout the valley, especially within the crater. He picked up a broken pipe, and stepped closer Bill as Lee searched his pockets for an invention. "Stay away from me Bill, I've had thirty years to figure out how to cause a 4th dimensional being pain, and I was living with a demon hunter who hates your guts…" As he did to most things, Bill laughed at the threat, and raised two balls of neon red fire. _^The Plucker's have already rewarded me for opening the door between our realm and the Nether zone. All I need is a vessel and I will be virtually indestructible.^_

He spun towards Stan, and his eye turned into fire. **_^WE STILL HAVE A DEAL HUNGRYFISH,^ _**The old man screamed as the demon slammed into him, hoping to crush his soul under his own power. Stan felt the world slow down as an icy hand impaled his being and began tearing at his spirit in an attempt to gain control.

Lee stared in horror as his brother rattled with the possession, his limbs squirming and twisting unnaturally. Blood seeped from the old man's mouth as he felt strength fill him. _^I don't have to be your enemy Stanford…I can make you something better, something more powerful.^ _Lee attempted to prevent his brother from clawing at his own eyes, but Stan shoved him aside, and his uninjured eye snapped open. _"Nice try Sixer, but this body is MINE NOW. You along with every other human on this worthless rock, will be crushed when the earthsea meets the groundsky." _Gwendolyn ran at him, but he flicked his hand and sent her sprawling.

Lee looked up with horror as Bill nodded slowly. _"That's right. All they need is portals to gain access to the multiverse, and then BOOM! It's there's. No force on Heaven or Earth can stop them Stanley …" _He extended a hand towards the old man, and raised an eyebrow. _"You can survive Stanley, you can live, ageless, all knowing, alongside your brother. You can be rid of the gravity which traps your amazing mind to this primitive state. Of your pain, your anguish, your scars. All of it gone. YOU CAN BE A GOD STANLEY PINES." _

Lee looked at the hand, before jumping up, and attempting to tackle his possessed twin,

_"Yeesh, you wouldn't know a good deal if it hit you in the face." _Bill hopped to the side and slugged Lee the moment her turned back towards him. Then turned towards Paz. He stalked towards her as Lee bled from his nose and stared at the descending hands of the interdimensional harvesters.

_"Ah yes…the girl who STABBED ME IN THE EYE. Now that's the kind of pain that even _I _can't appreciate." _Paz looked down at Mabel, unsure if she would be able to escape with the unconscious and possibly dying brunette. _"SELF PRESERVATION. The one good part of you humans. Its makes you SOOOO much easier to manipulate." _She glared up at him as he raised her into the air, and move his right hand closer to her face. Each digit was tinged with sapphire flame, and she attempted to squirm from the heat. _"Ya'know…maybe if you were less of a SELFISH BRAT people might actually be able to STAND your PRESCENSE." _

Paz grit her teeth together, preparing to leave this world. Her naturally optimistic mind tried to look on the bright side of her incoming demise. _Maybe I'll get to see my parents and Gid again…_A voice ended Bill's tormenting however, and he turned both of them towards the challenger.

At first Paz thought Dipper had returned to rescue her. Then she saw the knife in his hand, and that Mabel Gleeful stood beside him. "HEY BILL! Why don't you pick on someone your own intellectual size?" Bill dropped the blonde and floated towards the boy as the ground began to rattle with the power wielded by The Pluckers. _"OH? Last time I checked, you weren't all seeing Dippy, your sister is probably smarter, considering that she has seen the afterlife." _Dipper Gleeful glanced at his twin, confused as to why she had not disclosed this information.

He did it just in time to be blasted backwards.

He landed close to Gwendolyn, and removed his gun. _"And as for you-" _Bill turned on Mabel Gleeful, who lacked a weapon of any kind with her amulet missing. _"You have just been THE MOST HELPFUL THING in the multiverse. If you had never been born, your brother wouldn't have started magic, or murdering for that matter. I wouldn't have been able to place the heart of the universe in your sunshine and rainbows counterpart if you hadn't been there to make a golem for me. AND BEST OF ALL, without you and your brother, MY COUNTERPART wouldn't be so interested in absorbing my power and gaining ultimate control over his own dimension. He took ONE LOOK at you saps and lost all faith in humanity. His fault for having faith to begin with but…" _Mabel rolled her eyes, "Oh shut up." Red flashed across his eye, _"EXCUSE ME? I'm about to KILL you, and you dare-" _She smirked, "SHUT. UP. You are a whiny little mouth breather, and no matter how much power the idiots upstairs give you, you will always be a whiny little mouth breather. You only succeeded because you preyed on idiots…almost nothing went according to plan, you just kept breaking your deals and bending the rules. You didn't win fair and square, you cheated. And that's not a real victory. Which means you are just like every other demon in every other reality. The only reason you offered to save the old man over there is because you are going to be lonely once you have your power and no humans left to torment."

He burned with rage, and raised two hands. _"I DON'T NEED TO MAKE A DEAL TO KEEP ONE OF YOU ALIVE! I CAN PRESERVE YOUR SKINNY ASS AND TORTURE-" _His other eye opened, and Stanford rebelled with intense emotion moving through every fiber of his being. He clawed again at his head, and Mabel sniggered. "Some master manipulator Cipher, you can't keep an old man down."

Stan glared at her with one normal eye. "Who are you calling old, you psychopathic bra-" Dipper Gleeful charged towards him and screamed "HEY BILL!" The half possessed Stan turned and watched as Dipper tossed the revolver at him. Cipher forced Stan's right arm upwards and snatched the gun out of there, before it struck his face. "Nice try kid, but Bill can see in all directions." The words squirmed out of Stan's mouth as he tried to prevent Bill from taking off the safety on the gun and pointing it towards Dipper Gleeful.

The twelve year old merely smirked, and his sister giggled. Both the yellow and regular eyes turned to her in confusion. "He wasn't trying to knock you out, dum dums." Dipper Gleeful stepped closer, and the grin disappeared. "The gun is for you to take your own life."

**=^-0-^=**

Dipper Pines raced through the forest, the ground rippling beneath him. He leaped over the apocalyptic cracks which began to form in the Earth, dodging the ash which rained down. The burst of energy which had reminded him of Mabel, had begun to fade. There was something much more powerful flattening life all around him, and filling the valley, and from his perception, the world, with death.

He was forced to a halt by a gorge, and stared in confusion at what appeared to be a spaceship buried deep below. Turning away, he took a running start and leaped towards the other side of the gorge. Dipper was nearly winded by striking the other side, and he heard a sickeningly familiar voice above him.

_#PineTree, you look like you could use a hand…#_

Dipper ignored the rectangle and scrambled to his feet. "Leave. Me. Alone." He continued running despite his scrape knee, and stumbled in the direction of the smoking crater.

_#You can't save everyone Dipper. You need my help.#_

He stopped, and glared at Will. "NO-I-DO-NOT. YOUR plan, fell apart at the seams, and you KILLED Robert. In fact, you have barely done ANYTHING which hasn't degraded the situation…" Will rolled his eye, _#I saved you, Gid, and Paz from the fire…# _Dipper raised a finger, but then turned around. "Well thanks a lot. But I don't need your help now, you are just WASTING MY TIME." He increased speed, and heard Will mutter something cryptic, but was too close to Mabel to respond.

His feet pelted each other as he descended the hill and approached the massive grey crater. As he neared it, he realized that something was wrong. Everyone was standing around, as though they weren't in a life and death situation. If anything, they were _discussing _something. He recognized a few of the people in the crater as he neared it, and then he realized who the two children in rags were. His teeth braced together as he half leaped onto Mabel Gleeful.

Pinning her to the ground, he pushed his arm against her neck to keep her from speaking or fighting back. He raised his vision to make eye contact with his counterpart, but half way through his threat, he realized what Stan was doing. The old man held a gun to the side of his head, and had tears trickling down his face.

"Grunkle Stan…" His ruthlessness disappeared when he saw this, and he got off of the glaring Mabel Gleeful, to step closer to the con artist. "Grunkle Stan…what are you doing…"

Stan found himself unable to wipe the tears from his eyes, due to the fact that Bill was using his left arm to try and grab the gun. "I'm sorry Dipper…I-I made a deal with Bill a long time ago…and tonight he collected…he's going to use my body to kill all of you…unless…"

Dipper shook his head, desperate to prevent another death. "No…Stan…I-Mabel, she…there has to be another way." He felt tears begin to sting again, and rubbed his heartbreakingly red eyes. His doppelgänger stepped closer and glowered at Dipper. "You don't get it Mouthbreather, HE NEEDS TO DO THIS. If he doesn't, WE ARE ALL GOING TO DIE…HORRIBLY." Dipper glared back at the former psychic, "Oh right, let's all listen to the mass murderer!"

The twelve year old looked ready to attack him, but shook his head and looked up at the massive cut in the sky. "Now…do it, NOW! If not for your stupid…but _loyal_…nephew, than for your annoying…but _loving_, niece, than do it for your brother." He gestured to Lee, who had just stood up and gathered the situation.  
"Wait Stanford!"

"You idiot, you're going to lose control soon!"

"Stan…please."

"DO IT. _NOW!_"

_^Shoot them all…^_

Stan growled, and raised a hand full of blue flame. He created a wall of energy which encapsulated him.

Then he turned to Dipper and tried to summon the right words to say. "Tell your parents you're sorry. Look after your sister, and tell her that I am so, so proud of her…and don't worry…none of this is your fault." He gave a tearful grin as Dipper shook his head and pounded on the force field. Then he turned towards his twin and gave a half grin. "Thanks for the wild ride Lee, I'm sorry I was such an asshole."

The revolver went off, and the field of energy collapsed. Dipper watched as Lee ran over to his brother, and began half insulting and half pleading with the corpse. He felt empty, thoughtless. Soulless. He wanted to be somewhere else. He wanted to be ANYWHERE but here.

He turned towards Mabel, and slowly walked over to her gently breathing form. He could see the horrible thing which Bill had put in her, so many long and terrible days ago, when they had been chained up. It was killing her. She had held off the apocalypse, and was paying for it. The bubble fed off of her, and soon it would consume her.

_No. NO MORE. _

He swore by all that he knew to be good, that he would not allow his sister to die. He would not let anyone else fall prey to Bill's machinations, or any of the insanity which had been placed in this valley for wicked purposes. And as he stared at her, a plan formed in his mind. Possibly the greatest plan he would ever make, but definitely the _final _plan. He knew that if he failed, they would all be doomed.

Bill flew up above, screaming at them for preventing his ascension.

**_^You IDIOTS! You merely prevent the inevitable, time after time after time! YOU WILL ALL PAY THE ULTIMATE PRICE! The Pluckers don't get their name from nowhere. They are going to TEAR THE CRUST OFF THIS WORLD. You will get crushed, or burn up in the hell scape atmosphere! YOU WILL PA-!^_**

Gravity began to reverse as The Plucker's hands got closer to the ground, and Dipper watched Mabel raise slightly into the air under the influence. Bill's ravings received no notice however, because no one cared any more. Lee welcomed death from beside the levitating corpse of his brother. The Gleeful twins hugged each other and apologized to each other for the horrible things they had done to one another. Gwendolyn provided comfort to Lee, as Paz stared at the ground with an empty expression. Rubble, buildings, and trees all raised from the earth and began piercing the sky as ever more cracks were formed in the ground.

Dipper swam through the air, reaching Paz in a few motions. She looked up at him with those beautiful but vacant eyes, and he forced himself to speak properly. "Pacifica Northwest…I'm sorry…" She turned her head slightly, but before she could ask what the apology was for, he brought her face close to his own.

Fireworks went off in his mind, as he kissed a girl for the first time. Everything, from her scent to her perfect lips, was better than he could have ever imagined. Her embrace felt like being shielded from the incoming damnation and the world around him that had turned so horrible so quickly. But he knew that it had to end.

Everything does eventually.

So he pulled away, and answered her unspoken question. "I'm sorry for breaking my promise…" Turning away, he darted towards his sister. Clinging to her scorching body, he shouted over the growing vortex. "HEY WILL! THIS WAS YOUR PLAN, WASN'T IT? SACRIFICE ONE WORLD TO BECOME GOD OF ANOTHER? WELL DO IT! REMOVE THE ENERGY FROM MABEL AND YOU CAN HAVE MY BODY. ENSURE THAT SHE IS SAFE IN THE WORLD YOU RULE! ONE TIME OFFER, GOING ONCE, GOING TWICE," Will popped out of the ethos, eye glowing blindingly. _#Alright! Alright! You don't have to shout PineTree…# _He extended a hand, _#So it's a deal then?# _Dipper glared at him, "Once you have the demonic power which Bill wants…you will save my parents, and my friends…right?" Will rolled his eye as they lifted higher and higher. _#Yeah, yeah, sure. Just shake my hand and-# _"Remove the energy first," Dipper gestured to the bubble which glowed within Mabel, and Will sighed.

_#Never let it be said you were a bad salesman PineTree…# _As he began to remove the ball of energy, Dipper readied himself. He gripped Will's hand the moment that the orb of energy had been removed, but simultaneously grabbed the Heart of the Universe. His body crackled with energy, as instead of allowing his essence to be torn out, he pulled Will _into _himself.

_#What the-# _Dipper screamed as the energy mixed within him, and Will tore at him from the inside to escape his form. His mind began to shred itself as the wind tugged his rippling form about. "P-p-" The nearby ragtag of friends and enemies stared in horror as the skin on his forehead began to split open. His skin glowed blue and white as his skull contorted and stretched horrifically. Finally, just when he looked ready to explode, his eyes snapped open and he charged towards Bill. The triangle turned in time to be absorbed as well.

_"Nah! GAH! REMIK! SPALLAHDB PKJAF!" _His throat glowed and burned as pink sludge poured from his mouth and whipped about in the antigravity which had begun to spread across North America. Looking up at the void above and gluttonous creatures which lurked within, Dipper snarled. His voice seemed to rock the already disintegrating world, and reality itself reverberated with his words. They impeded the mind of everyone nearby, and filled each soul with defiance and reserve.

**_" R." _**

A third eye popped onto his head as his blue skin flushed with emerald energy. Mabel, awoken and saved by the transaction, watched as her brother charged into the sky, and opened his mouth.

And she watched, as the universe poured out of his mouth, and for another day, the apocalypse was avoided.

_"Everyone has a future, everyone has a soul  
Everyone has a heart, they have a mind, they have control. (Oh-oh)" ~ "Coffin Dance", Andrew Jackson Jihad _

**_It's nice to think that everyone has some choice in their fate. I'm not sure if it's true, but it's nice to think about, and it feeds into the multiverse theory anyway. _**


	15. Rebirth

**Chapter 15: Rebirth **

**_ Listen to the "Gravity Falls Reverse and Originals" video on YouTube after this chapter to get a major kick to the feels. _**

_"Only after disaster can we be resurrected. It's only after you've lost everything that you're free to do anything. Nothing is static, everything is evolving, and everything is falling apart."_

_― Chuck Palahniuk_

* * *

PineTree descended through the air, his eyes glowing emerald as the cut in the dimension began sowing itself up. His green skin crackled with electricity, as he moved towards Mabel. Her breath caught in her throat, and she almost took a step away from the deity.

**_"Mabel…you have nothing to fear. I have utmost control over the demons, their energy works for me now."_**

Mabel looked him up and down, seeing tattoos and constellations moving over his chest. His head was now completely bald, the curvature of his skull covered in more glowing dots. His shorts were the only piece of clothing which had not been burnt off. "D-Dipper?" He nodded and extended a hand, and she flinched but did not move. As his hand touched her however, the energy streaked over her skin, and healed instead of burned.

He turned away as her bruises and scratches were fixed and her heart began moving at a regular pace. PineTree turned to Paz and raised his hand. **_"I know what happened to your parents Pacifica…I know how unanswered questions can ruin lives. I will reveal the truth to you if you wish." _**

She stared at his form, alien in nature but resembling something half gone. The emotionlessness of his gaze, the slow movements, and the incredible power which radiated from him. It was not Dipper, and it was not Bill. It was something new and uncontrollable. Something much more powerful than anything else she had encountered.  
"You…you're not staying here are you?" He shook his head, and did not react as Mabel stared in horror at him, slowly shaking her head and muttering the words "no" over and over again. "You…you can't get rid of that energy without killing can you?" He nodded, slightly impressed. **_"Do you want to know about your parents or not?" _**She nodded, and his arm shot out, his fingers stabbing into the blonde's skull.

The world fell out from under her, and was reconstructed by a large but modest bedroom. Paz located herself, lying in the bed, her chest rising and falling as the moonlight covered her face. She watched as Will entered the room, quickly summoning the head of a lion. It half roared, and he giggled before causing the hologram to disappear.

"I don't understand, what does this-?"

Then, visions of her parents burst in, their hallucinations moving through her and PineTree. Her eyes widened as the world turned grey and Will removed a watch. _#Times up Northwests! Nathaniel Northwest traded his great, great grandchild's soul to me, in exchange for escaping that angry mob!# _Her mother looked at her husband with horror. Preston just stepped forward, and began pleading with the demon. "Please sir, we can give you anything…just don't take our daughter." Will raised an eyebrow, _#Sorry Presy, I don't need wealth, or power, or fame. None of that is worth anything to me!# _

Priscilla looked at her daughter, and stepped forward. "Take me instead."

Will nearly spat out his imaginary cocktail. _#YOU? No way Jose, it's double or nothing, her soul is worth much more than just ONE adult.# _Preston stood up, "Than take both of us! Take both of us but leave our Pacifica alone."

Will cracked his fingers and extended two hands glowing with golden fire. _#You know what…that deal sounds just PEACHY!#_

The memory blurred as Paz began to cry and avert her gaze. The menacing laughter transforming into silence as she turned away. "Oh god…why me? Why me?" PineTree gave her the barest hint of sympathy as she sat down on a pile of rubble. **_"Because you are the only one who would become obsessed the paranoia following the disappearance of your parents, because your parents were the only ones who were self-sacrificing enough to offer themselves up, and because only you would befriend Gid." _**

She looked up at him and wiped the tears from her eyes. "You...you know where they are, don't you?" He stared at her for a long time, and placed a hand on her shoulder. **_"They are unrecoverable." _**She looked around as she realized that he had slowed time so that they could have this conversation. **_"I can return you to your world, if you desire it." _**She looked over at Mabel, who was slowly moving towards them. **_"No one will remember you if I do so, you will not legally exist." _**Paz stood, and moved towards the besweatered tween. "She'll need me won't she…?" PineTree didn't speak, but she could feel him hoping for her decision to benefit his sister.

"There's nothing for me back home…at least I have a friend here." PineTree exhaled, and snapped his fingers. The world returned to its regular speed, and Paz stopped the running Mabel as the deity walked over to Dipper and Mabel Gleeful. Dipper extended an arm to protect his sister, but PineTree merely walked through him. Her stared at Mabel Gleeful, and spoke with hellfire on the tip of his tongue. **_"You are meant to be dead. The longer you live the more Llama suffers. You must return from whence you were designated in order for you and her to move on." _**

Dipper removed a knife, "NO! She isn't going anywhere!" He attempted to attack, but PineTree grabbed Dipper by the throat and raised him into the air with a twisted glare. **" T."** He flung his counterpart across the crater, and Mabel Gleeful grabbed his arm to prevent him from firing a blast of energy at the magician. "WAIT! I'll do it, I'll come with you…just make sure that my brother is safe…"

Turning to her, he pressed a hand against her head, and her entire being began to glow white. A door opened out of nothing and flames circled its borders as he moved her towards it. Dipper Gleeful jumped to his feet, ready to tackle the near god like entity. But his sister grabbed him before he did, and stared into his eyes. "I need to go Dipper…I don't belong here, I don't belong in the living world…" Dipper forced down bile and shook his head, "No, no, no, you and me. It's always been you and me since forever Mabel…I don't know what I'll do without-" "YOU'LL REPENT." PineTree grabbed his hand, and etched a pentagram into his palm. "You will destroy the monsters…you will make up for those you have killed tenfold. And when your job is complete, you will be able to join your sister in the Afterworld."

Dipper screeched in pain, blood pouring out of the mark. His twin watched painfully, and stepped closer. "It's alright Dipper…It's alright." He couldn't summon words as she wrapped her disappearing arms around him. "It's going to be alright…you did everything in your life trying to help me, trying to make me happy and protect me…" She looked back at the door which led to the void beyond, "…now you need to be free, you need to live. You have your whole life in front of you…" She gripped his shoulders and stared into his eyes with her vanishing ones. "Promise me you won't take your own life…promise me that once you're done repenting, you'll wait. PROMISE ME!"

He could do nothing but nod.

She kissed him on the cheek, and then she turned away. Dipper Gleeful stared with tear filled eyes as she neared the door, and this world's version of his sister ran past his statuesque frame. "NO! Dipper you…you can't leave me…"

PineTree stared at her with the greatest remorse thus far seen, and he stroked her cheek with his gemstone fingers. "I need you…" He shook his head. **_"You are going to be fine Mabel, I must move on. I have a duty to use this power, I can't trust it to anyone else. I am doing this for YOU Mabel…"_** She shook her head, "If you want to do something for me, STAY. C'mon, just because you're so powerful doesn't mean we can't hangout…you…you can help me with my math homework, and I…I can teach you how to use magic to impress girls…" He smirked, but shook his head. **_"I'm sorry Mabel. Please don't spend the rest of your life mourning for me. You are going to make a lot of friends…if you can learn to let me go."_**

"W-w-" She sobbed, "What am I going to tell mom and dad?" He smiled, and continued to stroke her cheek. **_"I've already shared the whole summer with them, their minds are informed…they will understand, they will not blame you…"_** She grew angry, "You can't do this Dipper! It…it isn't fair…" He leaned forward, and wrapped his arms around her, his energy coursing through her.

**_"Life isn't fair Mabel, but I can make it fairer, and I know that you will help. Now promise me you will not spend the rest of your life grieving…" _**"Dipper I-"**_ "Promise…" _**She did so, and he smiled. **_"Don't worry, the mystery twins will reunite one day…" _**

Then he turned away, and gestured to the open door while addressing Mabel Gleeful. **_"Age before beauty…"_** She chuckled and spoke as she stepped inside. "Only you could be omnipotent AND still be a nerd." Then she stepped in, and he followed, taking one last look back, before closing the door behind himself.

**=^-0-^=**

The light of the sun began to fill the valley, as helicopters lowered and landed nearby. They embraced her with tears in their own eyes, and she let all her sorrow and regret out into them. And although soldiers were now everywhere, and half the valley had been destroyed, Mabel was in the comfort of her family. The sun was coming up, the battle had ended.

The birds began to sing as Dipper Gleeful disappeared into the growing trees.

**=^-0-^=**

_One year later…_

Lee fiddled with his tie as he walked down the massive bunker hall. "I don't know about this Fids, what if they blame me for-" The previously insane man waved the concern away, and reached up to straighten his tie and slap his hands to the side.

"Oh Please. They know everything Lee, they're very impressed with your work and they need someone with your expertise if they are ever going to get this operation off the ground." He turned towards the great concrete doors up ahead, and spoke as he saluted the two soldiers on either side. "Besides…you want to be able to afford a better place for you and Gwendolyn don'tchya?"

Lee sighed, and conceded with a nod as the doors were opened. "Okay…but please promise I'm not becoming part of the new men in black…" As they stepped inside, his bald companion smirked, and stared at the massive monitor which he had designed to monitor paranormal activity. "It can be the KGB or EPA Stanley, you are after all…director of the organization." Lee looked down upon the sea of monitors in which agents communicated and recorded.

"Yeah…I guess it can."

**=^-0-^=**

_Three years later…_

Paz cartwheeled into the kitchen, her red and white cheerleader outfit highlighted against the California sun. Standing, she raised her hands and gave her adoptive mother a bright smile. "Well…what do you think?" Ruby rolled her eyes, "It's very nice Pacifica, but that doesn't mean you have to show off." Mabel looked up from her homework and grew one of her rare smiles. "Yeah Paz, why didn't you have the marching band announce you entrance?"

Paz stuck her tongue out, as Arthur entered the room from the living room. "Well I think she looks very nice." He leaned over and kissed his wife before heading for the door and fixing his bowtie. Paz smiled but then pouted when Ruby fished the dishes and instructed them not to have anyone over while they went to their party. "Ah but MOM! Chelsie is gonna leave town next week and we were going to have a party for her…"

Ruby exchanged glances with her husband, before shaking her head. "It's not happening sweetie." They exited as Paz crossed her arms, and gnawed on a gummy worm to help smolder her anger.

Mabel didn't even look up, but received a grin exactly the size as she expected. "They won't be back for another six hours…" Paz was already climbing out the window, and onto her bicycle. "I'LL GET THE NACHOS, YOU CALL EVERYONE AND TELL THEM THAT THE PARTY IS BACK ON!" Mabel slowly shook her head as she watched Paz speed away, and smiled. She could use a break from homework, and it was about time that they tasted alcohol.

**=^-0-^=**

_Nine years later…_

Dipper watched the gelatinous beast explode, and turned away with a steely gaze. He checked to make sure that the prostitute had been unharmed, and then turned away. "Wait! I've got to repay you somehow…" Her hands gripped his, and she looked up at him with a fake complexion and a snide smile.

He looked back at her and removed his knife. "Get lost or I'll MAKE you pay." She stared at the blade, and he grinned. "I'm good at killing things, what kind of person do you think I am?" She ran, and he rolled his eyes before sheathing the knife. Staring up at the night sky, he wandered towards the nearest bar, in hopes of drowning his restless soul.

Unfortunately, another sight of violence was taking place by the shantytown docks. This time worthless human against worthless human, instead of supernatural beast attack. He wasn't required by PineTree's curse to save humans from mother humans, he could be apathetic like most people to the suffering of his fellow human beings. He sighed and stared up at the sky as he unsheathed the knife. The Big Dipper was bright and unobstructed in the sky, and he glanced at it once, before cursing the world and everyone in it.

Then he went back to saving it.

**=^-0-^=**

_Eighteen years later…_

Mabel stood in the graveyard.

The Oregon air felt good on her skin, and the pine needles which broke beneath her steps gave a sense of sorrow and comfort. She stared at the gravestone, unable to summon a tear, or even words. Instead she listened to the silence, a thirty year old woman who was unable to move on from her brother's ghost.

Paz had warned her against coming here, but she had disregarded the warning. Because, _she _knew best. Because she had to be here. That's why. But now that she was, she felt more lost than ever. Any sense of acceptance which she had gained over the years of surviving high school, going through college, having more one night stands than she could count, and then breaking up after her first long relationship, it had gone. All those years had been sapped away, and all that was left was little girl who needed her brother.

She couldn't him though, so she would have to settle for the next best thing.

"Uh…hey…" She looked up, and found herself hardly surprised by the doppelganger of her twin. Turning back to the grave, she spoke almost too soft for him to hear. "What, are you here to kill me? Or are you going to lock me up and torture me because you're sick of me being alive when your sister isn't?" He gulped and shook his head, "No I…I've changed." She rolled her eyes, "Once a murderer always a murderer…" He sighed, and reached for her shoulder before thinking twice of it. "I-"

Glancing at Gwendolyn's bar across the street, he swallowed. "Would you let me buy you a drink. One drink, and then I'll leave." She glared back at him, and her eyes narrowed. "Do you really think…that after THIRTY YEARS, you can make up for what you've done…with a drink?" He sighed, and scratched the back of his neck. "I-no. That's not why…I want to buy you a drink."

"Then what? You're going to drug me?"

He shouted his response. "I CAN'T BEAR TO SEE YOU SAD OKAY?! I'M SORRY FOR CARING!" Turning away, he stalked towards the fence and after a moment, she ran after him. "Wait, why?" Aware that she had no intention of leaving him alone, Dipper stopped and spoke. "I have been alone for so many years…I have…I can't stand it anymore. I have saved…thousands, I have prevented major catastrophes…I can't do it anymore…I promised my sister I wouldn't kill myself for her, so I thought…" He gripped his hair, and almost tore some out. "It was stupid, I'm stupid. I'm an idiotic…" She pulled him into a hug, and he felt his heart skip a beat with surprise.

"Mabel…"

She didn't speak, she just breathed the scent of her brother, and tried not to cry. She refused to be weak in front of him. Finally letting go, she gestured to a nearby bench and spoke with some difficulty. "How about instead of a drink…we uh, just sit and talk a while?" He looked at the stone bench, and then at her. "You want to sit down, and talk a while, in a graveyard, in an Oregon night, during autumn, instead of going into a warm bar and getting drunk?"  
She nodded, and he saw the desperate hint of childhood left in her, "I…I have a sweater in my car…I can get for you if you want." He thought about her leaving, and told his body to tough it out. "I'm fine I was just wondering if you would be cold." She tugged at her parka and smiled before sitting down. He did likewise, and they both stared itno the darkened forest for a long moment. "So…"

"How is Pacifica?" Mabel smiled with relief that they could make small talk despite their sordid past. "She's great…I mean, she has a husband now, a baby on the way…"

"Ah. Nice."

They sat in silence a little bit longer, and then Dipper looked up at the sky and knew what he had to do. "If you…" She looked up, and he bit his lip. "If you are willing to listen to how terrible and lonely my life has been since we last saw each other…than, I will listen to your life first." Mabel felt complete understanding for this person who was everything that she was not.

"Okay…I…I guess I should start with high school…and the time I tried to commit suicide." He didn't seem surprised by that revelation, not even flinching. He understood perfectly, and she learned that he had nearly killed himself several times over the course of the eighteen years.

They shared all the awful romantic entanglements which had befallen them, they swapped drug trip stories, and they even bonded over how many times they had both been arrested (Dipper's stories were more escape tales than anything else).

At some point in the chilly night, they collapsed against one another. As the sun rose and flushed them with light, they both awoke, and felt perfectly at ease side by side, regardless of the cricks in their necks. They took one last look at the gravestone of Dipper Pines, and then Mabel offered to make them tea at her apartment.

The fog had begun to roll in, the birds had begun to sing, and the world had reached a moment of certain calm. The chaos of their lives had molded together into one brief peace, and although the future looked grimmer than ever, they were children again.

And they were home.

* * *

_"Love what you can  
Love what you can  
Til it dies  
Then let it lie  
Let it fly  
Away" – "White Face, Black Eyes" Andrew Jackson Jihad_

**_Thank you so much for taking this wonderful journey with me! Drop a score rating for the series, and tell me whether you liked this better than "Reversed Situations" I'm sorry if this became too complicated or dramatic for you, I was trying to make something big and epic, and I probably could have benefited from extra time. But I like the way it ended. _**

**_I'm sad that not as many people read this story as they did Reversse Situations, since I think this one is better, but I'm happy that I could share it regardless. I am content with the result, and I hope you are as well. I don't know what my next big project will be, but I am so happy that I could share this transition in my life (through words of course) to all of you, using characters you know and love, as well as ones which I half created, and managed to make you love anyway. *Teary smile* Thank you so much for being wonderful, may the next thing you read be as elegant as I hope this is…_**


End file.
